India's First Port-Based Green Hydrogen Pilot Project Inaugurated At VOC Port

(MENAFN- KNN India) Chennai, Sep 6 (KNN) Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday inaugurated India's first port-based green hydrogen pilot project at V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port in Thoothukudi, marking a significant step in the country's clean energy transition.

Developed at a cost of Rs 3.87 crore, the 10 Nm3/hr pilot facility will produce green hydrogen to power streetlights and an electric vehicle charging station in the port colony.

With this launch, VOC Port has become the first Indian port to generate green hydrogen.

The minister also laid the foundation for a green methanol bunkering and refuelling facility of 750 m3 capacity, to be built at a cost of Rs 35.34 crore.

Aligned with the planned Coastal Green Shipping Corridor between Kandla and Tuticorin, the project is expected to establish VOC Port as a green bunkering hub in southern India.

Additional initiatives launched include a 400 KW rooftop solar power plant-taking the port's total rooftop solar capacity to 1.04 MW, the highest among Indian ports-and a Rs 24.5 crore link conveyor between Coal Jetty-I and the port stack yard to improve handling efficiency.

Foundation stones were also laid for a 6 MW wind farm, a Rs 90 crore multi-cargo berth, a 3.37 km four-lane road, and the Tamil Nadu Maritime Heritage Museum.

Highlighting progress under the Sagarmala programme, Sonowal noted that Tamil Nadu's major ports-Chennai, Kamarajar, and VOC-have undertaken 98 projects worth Rs 93,715 crore over the past 11 years, with more than 50 completed and over Rs 16,000 crore invested in modernisation and capacity upgrades.

The event also saw the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoU) between VOC Port and the Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) for rail connectivity to the Outer Harbour project, and with NTPC for green mobility initiatives.

(KNN Bureau)

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