VOC Port invests Rs 418.60 Bn for green hydrogen hub

23 Dec 2024 CW Team

V O Chidambaranar Port, one of the popular seaports of Tamil Nadu, has earmarked Rs 41.860 billion worth of investments, aimed at making it the Green Hydrogen-Ammonia hub of the country, a top official said. The port has also taken measures to augment capacity after witnessing an increase in cargo handling this year. V O Chidambaranar Port has handled a cargo volume of 29.70 million tonnes including 5.62 lakh TEUs of containers till December 19, 2024 this is an overall growth of 1.87% and 6.74%, respectively. "With the ever-increasing trend in cargo handling, the Port has initiated several strategic capacity augmentation and cargo evacuation initiatives to increase cargo throughput, enhance handling efficiency and expand its market share in the region," a press release said. A pilot demonstration for the production of green hydrogen, storage and power generation using fuel cells is currently under progress and it is expected to be completed by January 2025. VOC Port Chairperson Susanta Kumar Purohit said with the advantages of being an all weather port, strategic location close to the East-West International sea route, lowest turn around time of container ships, seamless road and rail connectivity, and capacity augmentation initiatives, VOC Port has immense potential to become the gateway port of South India. The Port is set to execute a green hydrogen Pilot Bunkering project that would demonstrate bunkering and refuelling capacities for green hydrogen and its derivatives. The Port officials have also taken measures to widen the Port's entrance channel from 152.40 metres to 230 metres as part of the capacity augmentation initiatives. Aimed at accommodating bulk cargo ships, the Port said it has planned for construction of Berth 10 with Length Over All (LOA) of 440 metres under engineering, procurement and construction mode at an approximate cost of Rs 800 million. "To handle smaller vessels of around 120 metres of LOA and body length of 52 metre to 55 metre in the Port's oil jetty, the necessary infrastructure will be constructed by mid-2025," the release said.

V O Chidambaranar Port, one of the popular seaports of Tamil Nadu, has earmarked Rs 41.860 billion worth of investments, aimed at making it the Green Hydrogen-Ammonia hub of the country, a top official said. The port has also taken measures to augment capacity after witnessing an increase in cargo handling this year. V O Chidambaranar Port has handled a cargo volume of 29.70 million tonnes including 5.62 lakh TEUs of containers till December 19, 2024 this is an overall growth of 1.87% and 6.74%, respectively. With the ever-increasing trend in cargo handling, the Port has initiated several strategic capacity augmentation and cargo evacuation initiatives to increase cargo throughput, enhance handling efficiency and expand its market share in the region, a press release said. A pilot demonstration for the production of green hydrogen, storage and power generation using fuel cells is currently under progress and it is expected to be completed by January 2025. VOC Port Chairperson Susanta Kumar Purohit said with the advantages of being an all weather port, strategic location close to the East-West International sea route, lowest turn around time of container ships, seamless road and rail connectivity, and capacity augmentation initiatives, VOC Port has immense potential to become the gateway port of South India. The Port is set to execute a green hydrogen Pilot Bunkering project that would demonstrate bunkering and refuelling capacities for green hydrogen and its derivatives. The Port officials have also taken measures to widen the Port's entrance channel from 152.40 metres to 230 metres as part of the capacity augmentation initiatives. Aimed at accommodating bulk cargo ships, the Port said it has planned for construction of Berth 10 with Length Over All (LOA) of 440 metres under engineering, procurement and construction mode at an approximate cost of Rs 800 million. To handle smaller vessels of around 120 metres of LOA and body length of 52 metre to 55 metre in the Port's oil jetty, the necessary infrastructure will be constructed by mid-2025, the release said.

Infrastructure Transport

13 Oct 2025

Tata, Airbus to Build India’s First Private Helicopter Line

In a landmark development for India’s aerospace sector, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus will establish the country’s first private-sector helicopter assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka. The facility will manufacture the Airbus H125 and H125M, marking a significant milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in aviation and defence manufacturing. The new Final Assembly Line (FAL) will produce the H125, the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter, known for its versatility and performance in extreme environments. The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to ro..

Infrastructure Urban

13 Oct 2025

NeGD to Support Bharat Taxi in Building Cooperative Ride Platform

In a significant move for India’s digital and mobility transformation, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Digital India Corporation, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has entered into an advisory partnership with Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, the company behind Bharat Taxi — a first-of-its-kind, cooperative-led national ride-hailing platform. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NeGD and Sahakar Taxi to provide strategic advisory and technical support covering key areas such as platform integration, cybersecurity..

Technology

13 Oct 2025

MeitY Hosts Pre-Summit for India–AI Impact Summit 2026

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted a series of Pre-Summit events for the upcoming India–AI Impact Summit 2026 at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in New Delhi. These sessions mark a key milestone ahead of the main summit, scheduled for 19–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Delivering the inaugural address, S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, highlighted India’s innovative and frugal approach to AI development. “We have adopted innovative means by learning from others’ experiences to build projects and products that..