Madurai: V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port in Thoothukudi has become the first port in India to produce green hydrogen and achieve more than 1 megawatt of rooftop solar power generation, according to Susanta Kumar Purohit, Chairperson of VOC Port. He shared the achievement during a press briefing on Friday, reports The Hindu.
The announcement came during a one-day conference on Green Ports and Shipping – Charting a Sustainable Maritime Future, organised under NAVIC Cell-3, which focuses on green initiatives and pollution control. The initiative is part of a series of events being held in the lead-up to India Maritime Week 2025, scheduled for October in Mumbai.
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Purohit said the main aim of the event was to encourage unified and practical discussions to move India’s ports and shipping sector toward zero carbon emissions. He highlighted that VOC Port and other major ports have already started shifting to more energy-efficient systems as part of the NAVIC Cell-3 program.
“We are setting up a pilot project for green methanol bunkering with a capacity of 750 cubic metres and have begun work on producing 25 tonnes of green methanol daily using municipal solid waste,” he added.
The conference included two main sessions focusing on reducing carbon emissions in the maritime industry and exploring green financing and policies. The event opened with a keynote address by Vijay Kumar, Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India.
Mr. Kumar stressed the importance of sustainability in the maritime sector and said achieving India’s net-zero emissions target by 2070 would require coordinated national efforts. He explained that the ministry’s NAVIC Cell is actively working to make inland waterways more environmentally friendly by using renewable energy, energy-efficient equipment, and promoting green fuels like LNG, ammonia, and hydrogen.
Among those present at the event were Abhay Bakre, Mission Director of the National Green Hydrogen Mission; Vibha Dhawan, Director General of TERI; Malini Shankar, Vice Chancellor of the Indian Maritime University; and Rajesh Soundararajan, Deputy Chairperson of VOC Port Authority, along with other senior officials.
