India has taken its first formal step toward methanol bunkering, with V.O. Chidambaranar Port (VOC) in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, located in southern India, set to host a pilot facility for storing and supplying green methanol to ships.
Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone on September 5, describing the project as part of India’s wider strategy to create Coastal Green Shipping Corridors.
The 750 m³ facility, to be developed at a cost of about $4.2 million, is expected to establish Tuticorin as a key methanol bunkering hub in South India.
While the project is being launched on a pilot scale, it represents the first port-based methanol bunkering infrastructure in the country.
India has been exploring methanol and hydrogen as part of its alternative fuels mix to meet decarbonisation targets and reduce reliance on conventional bunkers.
