VOC Port, SIPCOT Join Hands for Mega Shipbuilding Cluster

10 Sep 2025 CW Team

The minister paid floral tributes at the port to the statue of legendary freedom fighter VO Chidambaram Pillai to mark his 154th birth anniversary.

During the event, Mr Sonowal inaugurated a green hydrogen pilot project with a capacity of 10 Nm³ per hour, valued at Rs 3.87 crore, at the VOC Port campus. This makes VOC Port the first in India to produce green hydrogen. He also inaugurated a rooftop solar power plant with a capacity of 400 KW and a link conveyor connecting Coal Jetty-I to the port’s coal stack yard.

Further, he laid the foundation stone for several projects, including a pilot green methanol bunkering and refuelling facility to support the Coastal Green Shipping Corridor between Gujarat’s Kandla and Thoothukudi, a 6 MW wind farm, the construction of a multi-cargo berth, a four-lane concrete road from TPS Roundana to Check Post 2, and the Tamil Nadu Maritime Heritage Museum.

VOC Port chairman Mr Susanta Kumar Purohit and SIPCOT managing director Dr K Senthil Raj signed the MoU for the shipbuilding, repair and recycling cluster in the presence of the minister. VOC Port also entered into agreements with Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Ltd to establish rail connectivity for the outer harbour project and with the National Thermal Power Corporation to implement a green mobility initiative.

Over the past decade, major ports in Tamil Nadu — Chennai, Kamarajar and VOC — have more than doubled their capacity from 167 million tonnes per annum to 338 million tonnes per annum. Highlighting VOC Port’s emerging role, Mr Sonowal said, “By attracting a Rs 41 billion investment in a green hydrogen project, VOC Port is fast becoming the leading green gateway of Maritime India.”

Speaking on the shipbuilding initiative at Thoothukudi, he added that it would create employment opportunities for youth. “India is poised to become one of the top 10 shipbuilding nations by 2030 and among the top five by 2047,” he stated.

VO Chidambaranar Port (VOC Port) and SIPCOT signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop the National Mega Shipbuilding Cluster in Tamil Nadu. The agreement was signed on Friday in the presence of the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Mr Sarbananda Sonowal.The minister paid floral tributes at the port to the statue of legendary freedom fighter VO Chidambaram Pillai to mark his 154th birth anniversary.During the event, Mr Sonowal inaugurated a green hydrogen pilot project with a capacity of 10 Nm³ per hour, valued at Rs 3.87 crore, at the VOC Port campus. This makes VOC Port the first in India to produce green hydrogen. He also inaugurated a rooftop solar power plant with a capacity of 400 KW and a link conveyor connecting Coal Jetty-I to the port’s coal stack yard.Further, he laid the foundation stone for several projects, including a pilot green methanol bunkering and refuelling facility to support the Coastal Green Shipping Corridor between Gujarat’s Kandla and Thoothukudi, a 6 MW wind farm, the construction of a multi-cargo berth, a four-lane concrete road from TPS Roundana to Check Post 2, and the Tamil Nadu Maritime Heritage Museum.VOC Port chairman Mr Susanta Kumar Purohit and SIPCOT managing director Dr K Senthil Raj signed the MoU for the shipbuilding, repair and recycling cluster in the presence of the minister. VOC Port also entered into agreements with Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Ltd to establish rail connectivity for the outer harbour project and with the National Thermal Power Corporation to implement a green mobility initiative.Over the past decade, major ports in Tamil Nadu — Chennai, Kamarajar and VOC — have more than doubled their capacity from 167 million tonnes per annum to 338 million tonnes per annum. Highlighting VOC Port’s emerging role, Mr Sonowal said, “By attracting a Rs 41 billion investment in a green hydrogen project, VOC Port is fast becoming the leading green gateway of Maritime India.”Speaking on the shipbuilding initiative at Thoothukudi, he added that it would create employment opportunities for youth. “India is poised to become one of the top 10 shipbuilding nations by 2030 and among the top five by 2047,” he stated.

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Suraj Estate Wins Euromoney Award for India’s Best Residential Developer

"Suraj Estate Developers Limited has received the Euromoney Real Estate Award 2025 for ‘India’s Best Residential Developer’, positioning the company among globally benchmarked leaders in the sector. The recognition reflects its four-decade legacy in delivering high-quality residential and redevelopment-led projects across South Central Mumbai. The Euromoney Real Estate Awards, presented by the London-based Euromoney magazine, are widely regarded as one of the most credible global assessments of performance in real estate, banking and finance. Winners are selected through surveys of inte..

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Lloyds Metals, Tata Steel Sign MoU to Explore Strategic Collaboration

"Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Steel Limited to evaluate potential areas of strategic cooperation across mining, logistics, pelletisation and steelmaking. The MoU was signed by B Prabhakaran, Managing Director of Lloyds Metals, and Mr T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel. The partnership framework aims to leverage the natural operational synergies between both companies and assess opportunities in greenfield steel projects, iron ore mining, slurry pipeline infrastructure, pellet manufacturing in iron ore–ric..

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching th..