India's First Green Methanol Bunkering Hub at VOC Port, Thoothukudi, Nears Commercial Launch
V.O. Chidambaranar Port (VOC Port) at Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu, is getting ready to start India's first dedicated green methanol bunkering service by the end of November 2026. Bunkering simply means filling fuel into a ship.
The port is finishing safety checks, legal (statutory) approvals and trial bunkering. It has also invited an expression of interest to choose a company that will run the bunkering work.
The facility can store 1,500 cubic metres of methanol in two tanks of 750 cubic metres each. A 2.8 km stainless-steel pipeline carries the fuel from the tanks to the jetty, where ships are fuelled.
The facility was inaugurated on 11 October 2026. VOC Port will be the only port on India's east coast to offer this service.
The port says nearly 80% of cargo ships on the busy East-West sea route pass within 130 nautical miles of Thoothukudi. It sits on the Rotterdam-Tuticorin-Singapore maritime corridor.
According to the port, the project is being built under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) giving ₹35.34 crore for it under the shipping sector component.
Green Methanol: Production and Properties
Methanol is the simplest alcohol. Its chemical formula is CH3OH, and it is a clear liquid at normal room temperature. Most methanol in the world today is made from natural gas or coal, which releases a lot of carbon dioxide. Green methanol is the same chemical, but it is made from clean sources: either from plant waste (biomass) or from green hydrogen combined with captured carbon dioxide. Because the raw materials are clean, green methanol can cut the climate impact of fuels like the oil used in ships.
VOC Port's new facility will supply green methanol to ships, the first dedicated service of its kind in India. As more shipping companies buy methanol-capable ships, ports that can supply this fuel will attract more ship calls. Thoothukudi's location close to the East-West shipping route gives it a good chance to win this business.
National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023)
The National Green Hydrogen Mission is India's main programme to make the country a global hub for producing, using and exporting green hydrogen and fuels made from it, such as green ammonia and green methanol. It was approved by the Union Cabinet on 4 January 2023, and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) runs it. Its aim is to cut fossil fuel imports and pollution in hard-to-clean sectors like steel, fertilisers, refining and shipping.
The VOC Port methanol bunkering facility is funded under the shipping-sector pilot of this Mission, with ₹35.34 crore from MNRE. It shows how the Mission is moving from making green hydrogen to building the infrastructure that lets ships actually use its derived fuels.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations agency that makes global rules for ships: safety, security and pollution. It has its headquarters in London. India has been a member since 1959 and sits on its Council. The IMO's climate targets are the main reason shipping companies are now looking for fuels like green methanol.
The IMO's push for cleaner shipping is creating a new market for clean marine fuels. Ports that offer green methanol, like VOC Port, are preparing for a future where ships must cut their emissions.
- Location: V.O. Chidambaranar Port, Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu
- First dedicated green methanol bunkering hub in India; only one on the east coast
- Storage: 1,500 m³ (two tanks of 750 m³ each)
- Pipeline: 2.8 km, stainless steel, from storage to jetty bunkering point
- Inaugurated: 11 October 2026; commercial launch targeted by end of November 2026
- About 80% of cargo ships on the East-West route pass within 130 nautical miles of Thoothukudi
- Corridor: Rotterdam-Tuticorin-Singapore maritime corridor
- Funding: ₹35.34 crore from MNRE under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (shipping sector)
- National Green Hydrogen Mission: approved January 2023; outlay ₹19,744 crore; target 5 MMT green hydrogen per year by 2030