The VO Chidambaranar Port Authority in Thoothukudi has invited bids worth Rs. 813.3 mn for establishing a 3 MW green hydrogen production unit and a vehicle refuelling station within the port area.

The facility will use an alkaline electrolyser to produce at least 45 kg of green hydrogen an hour. The project package includes storage tanks, compressors and a dispensing system capable of supplying vehicles with up to 900 kg of hydrogen a day. Storage capacity has been set at approximately 720 kg, with the gas to be held under high pressure and dispensed at 350 bar.

The contract has been structured on a turnkey basis and will cover design, engineering, procurement, civil and electrical works, automation, safety systems, installation, commissioning, testing and training. It will also include operation and maintenance for seven years, including a two-year guarantee period.

Approximately 3 acres have been earmarked for the facility, which is scheduled for completion within 12 months. The port will provide 22 kV power and potable water without charge, while the contractor will be responsible for associated arrangements, protection systems and other supporting work.

The proposed project is substantially larger than the port’s existing pilot facility. The pilot produces 10 Nm³ of hydrogen an hour and currently supplies streetlights and an electric vehicle charging point on the premises. Port chairperson Susanta Kumar Purohit said the pilot had established that green hydrogen could be produced at a port while also identifying operational and technical challenges. The new plant is intended to build on that experience by adding larger-scale production, storage and vehicle refuelling capabilities.