Green methanol bunkering facility opens at VOC Port with 1,500 m³ storage

Summary

V.O. Chidambaranar Port has inaugurated a ₹38.12-crore green methanol bunkering and refuelling facility in Thoothukudi. Two storage tanks and a dedicated pipeline to the oil jetty strengthen its alternative-fuel infrastructure. The opening forms part of a wider port development package, alongside new hydrogen and container-handling projects.

Dedicated storage connects with the oil jetty

Green methanol bunkering infrastructure at V.O. Chidambaranar Port has advanced from development to inauguration, with the new facility formally opened on 11 October 2026.

The installation comprises two 750-cubic-metre tanks, providing combined storage capacity of 1,500 cubic metres. Approximately 2.8 kilometres of pipeline connect the storage installation with the port’s oil jetty.

The ₹38.12-crore project establishes a fixed shoreside storage and transfer arrangement for methanol intended for marine fuel supply.

Its inauguration marks an infrastructure milestone. It does not, by itself, confirm completed deliveries to ships, contracted annual bunker volumes or the availability of certified green methanol inventory. Those commercial and operational details were not specified in the announcement.

Development follows the earlier pilot proposal

The facility follows a pilot project launched in September 2025. Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid its foundation stone at VOC Port on 5 September, when the announced scope included 750 cubic metres of storage at an estimated ₹35.34 crore.

The completed installation is now described as two tanks with twice that combined capacity. The earlier and current figures therefore relate to different announced stages of the project.

At the September 2025 event, the minister also inaugurated a separate green hydrogen pilot installation with production capacity of 10 normal cubic metres per hour.

That ₹3.87-crore pilot was intended to supply hydrogen for street lighting and an electric vehicle charging facility in the port colony. It provided an earlier demonstration of hydrogen production for local applications, distinct from the larger hydrogen project now being initiated.

Training preceded the facility’s inauguration

Operational preparation has accompanied construction. Earlier in October, the port conducted methanol bunkering training and mock drills involving personnel from its traffic, marine, mechanical, and fire and safety departments.

Representatives of project contractor SOPAN also participated. The programme included a live demonstration at the proposed bunkering site and focused on safe methanol handling and readiness for future transfers.

These preparations are relevant because storage tanks and pipelines are only part of a bunkering service. Personnel must also understand transfer procedures and emergency responsibilities.

The early-October update did not identify a date for the port’s bunkering pilot. Accordingly, the training programme and subsequent infrastructure inauguration should be distinguished from confirmation of a completed ship-fuelling operation.

Wider package combines capacity and cleaner energy

The methanol facility forms part of eight projects worth ₹753.68 crore inaugurated or initiated on 11 October. Four completed projects were opened, while four new developments were launched.

The largest investment is the ₹517.19-crore conversion of Berth No. 7 into a container terminal with planned annual capacity of 420,000 TEUs.

Its scope includes a 370-metre berth, three quay cranes, nine electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes, electric tractor-trailers and rehabilitation of a ten-hectare backup yard.

A separate ₹81.33-crore, 3 MW green hydrogen manufacturing and refuelling station was also initiated. Completed works included a four-lane access road and a 2 MW solar plant.

Other developments cover truck parking and mechanised bagging equipment. Together, the package addresses cargo handling, inland movement and energy use, with the methanol installation adding a dedicated marine-fuel component.

Production partnerships remain separate initiatives

VOC Port has also explored potential methanol production pathways. At India Energy Week in January 2026, it signed an agreement with Oriana Power to examine a carbon capture, utilisation and storage pilot and a green methanol production facility.

A separate tripartite memorandum with Thoothukudi City Municipal Corporation and Universal Cleantech Solutions concerned municipal solid waste processing and green methanol production.

These agreements represent proposed development partnerships. They should not be interpreted as confirmation that either production facility is operating or supplying the newly inaugurated tanks.

The distinction separates fuel production from the storage and transfer infrastructure required to deliver it to ships. vocport.gov.in

Commercial readiness becomes the next test

The port’s position near major East–West shipping routes supports its ambition to serve alternative-fuel vessels. Its January strategy envisaged progressing from pilot methanol bunkering towards commercial operations and green shipping corridors.

The new installation advances the physical infrastructure supporting that objective. Commercial performance will depend on fuel sourcing, vessel demand, transfer readiness and supply arrangements.

For shipowners, the practical significance will emerge as the port translates inaugurated infrastructure into documented, reliable bunkering services. vocport.gov.in

FAQs

Where is the facility located?

At V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

What is its storage capacity?

Two 750-cubic-metre tanks provide 1,500 cubic metres of combined capacity.

How is the storage connected to ships?

A dedicated pipeline of approximately 2.8 kilometres connects the installation to the oil jetty.

Has a ship already received green methanol there?

The inauguration announcement does not confirm a completed bunkering delivery.

Is the new hydrogen station already operating?

The 3 MW station is a newly initiated project, separate from the smaller hydrogen pilot inaugurated in 2025.