India Maritime Week 2025: VOC Port Tuticorin wins 'Green Visionary' Award, MoUs worth over 1 lakh crore inked!

With a strong push from the Government of India, ports across the country are embracing renewable energy, green hydrogen, and decarbonisation initiatives to align with the nation's vision of becoming a global leader in clean maritime operations. In this context, several MoUs were exchanged on the fourth day of India Maritime Week 2025 worth over one lakh crore rupees. During the event, the V O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, Tuticorin formalised three major MoUs with leading players in the green energy sector, marking a collective investment of over ₹42,000 crore. The first MoU was signed with Green Infra Renewable Energy Farms Private Limited (GIREFPL), a Sembcorp group company, for setting up a common storage farm or immediate tanking storage facility for green ammonia and other hydrogen derivatives, involving an investment of ₹25,400 crore.

The second MoU was exchanged with ACME Green Hydrogen and Chemicals Private Limited for establishing a 1,200 MTPD Green Ammonia Project worth ₹12,000 crore, while the third was signed with CGS Energy Private Limited for a 300 TPD Green Ammonia production facility at an investment of ₹5,000 crore. These projects will significantly strengthen the port's position as a future-ready Green Hydrogen Hub for southern India. The event also marked the launch of the Case Study on Sustainability: A Study of VOCPA developed by the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.

In the award ceremony VOC Port got the 'Green Visionary' award, which shows Port's commitment to green initiatives. VOCPA was highly praised for its pioneering efforts in decarbonisation and its demonstrated commitment to the fastest path toward sustainability improvement among Indian ports. The case study highlights the challenges of transitioning to sustainable operations while showcasing VOCPA's achievements and its emerging role as a hub for green hydrogen initiatives.

VOC Port Authority Chairman, Susanta Kumar Purohit, said: "we have signed about 28 MoUs with various stakeholders so far, amounting to a total investment of ₹1.27 lakh crore. These agreements focus on port-led industrialisation, green hydrogen and green fuels, as well as advancing the use of artificial intelligence in our port operations. Through these initiatives, we expect significant investments and the creation of numerous employment opportunities." VOC Port's Deputy Chairman, Rajesh Soundrarajan said, "this event is truly a cornerstone of India's maritime sector. VOC Port signed several MoUs today and yesterday; these will help VOCPA become a global leader in green maritime operations."

Prof. Ramya Venkateswaran of IIM Calcutta, who facilitated the release of the case study said "VOCPA has been a pioneer in sustainability initiatives. While most would aim to achieve net-zero emissions, the VOC Port Chairman has set a far more ambitious goal -- to make the port carbon negative. The team has put in tremendous effort toward this vision, setting an exemplary benchmark for other ports to follow and aligning with global sustainability standards." During the closing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing event, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal said the initiative marks a major step towards India's vision of becoming a powerful maritime nation.

"This MoU ceremony is a step towards making India a powerful maritime nation. It represents a significant effort in driving the economy as a whole. So far, 23 MoUs have been exchanged, promising massive investments. Under the visionary leadership of our Hon'ble Prime Minister, India is becoming a favourable destination for global investors," Sonowal said. The Minister highlighted that India, which has so far been a ship user, is now moving towards becoming a ship-building nation. "We have enhanced our efforts, and by 2047, India aims to be among the top five shipbuilding nations in the world. I firmly believe all the promises made will be honoured, and the Prime Minister's vision will be translated into action," he added. (ANI)