India’s first dedicated green methanol bunkering facility at V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi is expected to begin commercial operations by the end of November, positioning the Tamil Nadu port to supply an alternative marine fuel to ships using the east-west international shipping route.
The facility was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 11. The port is now completing safety arrangements, statutory requirements and other operational preparations ahead of the commercial launch, according to VOC Port Authority chairman Susanta Kumar Purohit.
The facility has a storage capacity of 1,500 cubic metres, divided between two tanks of 750 cubic metres each. A 2.8-km stainless steel pipeline connects the storage area to the bunkering point at the jetty. Green methanol can be brought to the facility by road tankers or vessels and then supplied to ships through the system.
The bunkering installation includes two transfer pumps, each capable of handling 120 cubic metres per hour. Together, the system is designed to transfer around 1.2 lakh litres of methanol an hour. Automated controls, remotely operated valves, emergency shutdown arrangements and dedicated fire protection systems have been installed as part of the facility’s safety infrastructure.
The port authority is also seeking an operator for the facility. An expression of interest has been floated to identify a suitable bunkering operator, while trial bunkering and other port-readiness activities are under way. Commercial operations will begin after the required preparations and statutory processes are completed.
Thoothukudi’s location is central to the port’s plans for the facility. According to port estimates cited by Purohit, nearly 80 per cent of cargo vessels operating on the east-west international shipping route pass within 130 nautical miles of Thoothukudi. The port authority said this proximity could allow the facility to serve vessels that regularly call at VOC Port as well as international ships passing along the route.
The port is located on the Rotterdam-Thoothukudi-Singapore maritime corridor, which the authority identified as an opportunity to develop the facility as a marine fuel supply point. The project is being implemented under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy allocating Rs. 35.34 crore for its development in the shipping sector.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has designated the VOC Port Authority as the system implementing agency. The authority said the facility is intended to support India’s efforts to develop green shipping infrastructure and contribute to the country’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
Purohit said the project could help establish Thoothukudi as a dependable bunkering destination. In the longer term, the port expects the service to support green fuel production, expand maritime activity and attract industrial investment to the region. The next operational milestones are the completion of safety and statutory requirements, trial bunkering and the appointment of a bunkering operator before the planned commercial launch.
