V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi, the second largest port in Tamil Nadu, has become the first port in India to produce green hydrogen.
Worth $52.3m, the facility is expected to produce around eight tonnes of hydrogen per day. The green fuel will be used to power the port streetlights and an electric vehicle charging station.
The project will support India's first domestic green shipping corridor between Kandla and Tuticorin, led by fleet and port operators, including V.O. Chidambaranar Port. It's slated to be launched in late 2025.
Plans were also announced for a 750-metre green hydrogen-based methanol bunkering and refuelling pilot project at the port.
"The projects launched today will generate thousands of jobs, attract global investments and position Tamil Nadu as a key contributor to India's economic aspirations," said Shri Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
India is advancing efforts to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping and steel, emerging as one of the world's leading green hydrogen markets with an estimated value of $14bn.
The government expects to have green fuel refuelling infrastructure at all major ports across the country by 2035.
Last year, India's Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) committed $64m to support a portfolio of pilot projects.
In shipping alone, the government has earmarked $13m through FY 2025-26 to retrofit vessels with green hydrogen propulsion and build bunkering and refuelling infrastructure at ports along international shipping lanes.
Green hydrogen can supply onshore power to vessels at berth and serve as a clean bunkering fuel.
However, despite strong policy backing for hydrogen in shipping and other mobility sectors, early movers across the globe have struggled to stay afloat amid tighter investment conditions and the long timelines required to commercialise new technologies.
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