K. Senthil Raj, Managing Director of SIPCOT and Susanta Kumar Purohit, Chairperson of V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority exchange MoUs in the presence of Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways at V.O.C. Port Authority in Thoothukudi
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RAJESH N
The foundation stone for the pilot green methanol bunkering and refuelling facility worth ₹35.34 crore was laid at the VOC Port in Thoothukudi by Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday. With a capacity of 750 m3, the project supports the use of alternative fuels, aligns with the planned Coastal Green Shipping Corridor between Kandla and Tuticorin and will help position VOC Port as a key hub for green fuel bunkering, said a release.
The Minister laid the foundation stone for a 6 MW wind farm project at a cost of ₹59.20 crore to support VOC Port’s Net-Zero mission, and for the construction of Multi-Cargo Berth No.10 at a cost of ₹90 crore, with a capacity of 10 million tonnes and with dead weight tonnage of 1,25,000.
The foundation stone was also laid for a 4-lane concrete road from TTPS Roundana to Check Post No.2, spanning 3.37 km at a cost of ₹34.77 crore, and for the establishment of the Tamil Nadu Maritime Heritage Museum at a cost of ₹3.00 crore, the release said.
The Minister inaugurated a green hydrogen pilot project at the VOC Port in Thoothukudi, thus making it the first port in the country to produce green hydrogen. Established at a cost of ₹3.87 crore, the project inaugurated by Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday will generate green hydrogen to power streetlights and an electric vehicle charging facility in the port colony, the release said.
He also inaugurated a Rooftop Solar Power Plant of 400 KW capacity at a cost of ₹1.46 crore, taking VOC Port’s total rooftop solar capacity to 1.04 MW, the highest among Indian ports.
The release said that the Minister also inaugurated the link conveyor from Coal Jetty-I to the port coal stack yard at a cost of ₹24.50 crore. The facility will ensure optimal utilisation of idle berth capacity, enhance Port capacity by 0.72 mmtpa , and improve coal shipment handling while reducing vessel turnaround time.
Also, in the presence of the minister, the VOC Port Authority signed MoUs with IPRCL to establish rail connectivity for the Outer Harbour project, and with NTPC to implement Green Mobility initiatives at the Port.
Published on September 5, 2025