Green hydrogen pilot project at VOC Port; to power streetlights in colony

Union minister of ports, shipping, and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, on Friday inaugurated the green hydrogen pilot project at VOC port, making it the first port in the country to produce green hydrogen.Established at a cost of 3.87 crore, the project, with a capacity of 10 Nm³/hr, will generate green hydrogen to power streetlights and an electric vehicle charging facility in the Port Colony. The minister also laid the foundation stone for the pilot green methanol bunkering and refuelling facility, at a total cost of 35.34 crore with a capacity of 750 m³. This project supports the use of alternative fuels and aligns with the planned coastal green shipping corridor between Kandla and Tuticorin. Further, a rooftop solar power plant of 400 KW capacity at a cost of 1.46 crore was inaugurated, taking VOC port's total rooftop solar capacity to 1.04 MW, the highest among Indian ports."The projects being launched will generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs in Tamil Nadu, boost trade, and attract global investments, positioning the state as a key contributor to India's target of a $5 trillion economy by 2027 and a $1 trillion economy from Tamil Nadu alone by 2030," said Sonowal. He also inaugurated the link conveyor from coal jetty-I to the port coal stack yard, established at a cost of 24.5 crore. The facility is set to ensure optimal utilisation of idle berth capacity, enhance port capacity by 0.72 MMTPA, and improve coal shipment handling while reducing vessel turnaround time.Additionally, the Union minister laid the foundation stone for a 6MW wind farm project at a cost of 59.2 crore to support the 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. Foundation stone was also laid for a four-lane concrete road from TTPS Roundana to check post No 2, spanning 3.37km at a cost of 34.77 crore, and for the establishment of the Tamil Nadu Maritime Heritage Museum at a cost of 3 crore.

Meanwhile, VOC port signed MoUs with Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL) to establish rail connectivity for the outer harbour project, and with NTPC to implement green mobility initiatives at the port.