Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday inaugurated India’s first port-based green hydrogen pilot project at V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port, marking a milestone in the nation’s maritime decarbonisation drive. The project, developed at a cost of ₹3.87 crore, will generate 10 Nm³/hour of green hydrogen, which will be used to power streetlights and an EV charging station within the Port Colony.
In addition, Sonowal launched a green methanol bunkering facility with a 750 m³ capacity costing ₹35.34 crore, to support cleaner marine fuel adoption along the Kandla–Tuticorin green shipping corridor. Highlighting the port’s commitment to renewable energy, the Minister commissioned a 400 kW rooftop solar plant—raising VOC Port’s rooftop solar capacity to 1.04 MW, the highest among Indian ports—and laid the foundation stone for a 6 MW wind farm worth ₹59.2 crore.
Several infrastructure projects were also inaugurated, including a ₹24.5 crore link conveyor system, a ₹90 crore multi-cargo berth, a ₹34.77 crore four-lane road, and a ₹3 crore Tamil Nadu Maritime Heritage Museum. MoUs were signed with IPRCL for enhanced rail connectivity and with NTPC for advancing green mobility initiatives at the port.
The launch coincided with the 154th birth anniversary of freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaranar, with the Minister paying floral tributes before the inauguration. Sonowal said the initiatives would not only boost trade and create jobs but also help Tamil Nadu contribute to India’s vision of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2027 and a $1 trillion state economy by 2030.
With this pilot project, VOC Port has become the first Indian port to produce green hydrogen, aligning with the National Hydrogen Mission’s goal of equipping all major ports with green hydrogen and ammonia bunkering facilities by 2035.