Sonowal Launches India’s First Port-Based Green Hydrogen Project at VOC Port
Union Minister unveils multiple green energy and infrastructure projects in Thoothukudi; says India to be in world’s top 5 shipbuilders by 2047
- India’s first port-based green hydrogen pilot project inaugurated at VOC Port, Thoothukudi.
- Facility built at ₹3.87 crore, producing green hydrogen for streetlights & EV charging.
- Foundation stone laid for ₹35.34 crore green methanol bunkering facility.
- Additional projects: 400 kW solar plant, 6 MW wind farm, multi-cargo berth, 4-lane road & maritime museum.
GG News Bureau
Thoothukudi, 6th Sept: 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 in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The launch coincided with the 154th birth anniversary of freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaranar, to whom the minister paid floral tribute.
Constructed at a cost of ₹3.87 crore, the 10 Nm³/hour facility will generate green hydrogen to power streetlights and an EV charging station at the port colony. With this, VOC Port has become the first port in India to produce green hydrogen.
Sonowal also laid the foundation stone for a ₹35.34 crore pilot green methanol bunkering and refuelling facility with a capacity of 750 cubic metres. This initiative aligns with the proposed coastal green shipping corridor between Kandla and Thoothukudi, setting the stage for VOC Port to emerge as a major green bunkering hub in South India.
Other projects launched include a 400 kW rooftop solar power plant, taking the port’s total rooftop solar capacity to 1.04 MW (highest among Indian ports), and a ₹24.5 crore link conveyor connecting Coal Jetty-I with the port’s stack yard, enhancing efficiency by 0.72 MMTPA. The minister also laid the foundation for a 6 MW wind farm, a ₹90 crore multi-cargo berth, a 3.37 km four-lane road, and the Tamil Nadu Maritime Heritage Museum.
Highlighting India’s shipbuilding ambitions, Sonowal said, “By 2030, India will be among the world’s top 10 shipbuilding nations and by 2047, in the top five. These projects will create thousands of jobs, attract global investment, and position Tamil Nadu as a key contributor to India’s economic growth.”
Sonowal underlined that Tamil Nadu’s three major ports — Chennai, Kamarajar, and VOC — have seen transformative growth under the Sagarmala programme. Over the past 11 years, ₹93,715 crore worth of 98 projects were launched, of which 50 are already complete, including over ₹16,000 crore in modernization and capacity expansion.
On the sidelines, VOC Port signed MoUs with the Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) for rail connectivity to the Outer Harbour Project, and with NTPC for implementing green mobility initiatives.
Sonowal thanked the people of Tamil Nadu and Thoothukudi for their support and said, “Inspired by the legacy of V.O. Chidambaranar, we are moving forward with speed, scale, sustainability, and self-reliance to strengthen India’s maritime sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
