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Union minister for ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has launched and laid the foundation for projects worth around INR 1,500 crore at V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Tamil Nadu. The initiatives focus on upgrading port infrastructure, deploying clean energy systems, adopting advanced digital technologies and strengthening security. Inaugurated projects include road connectivity works, a maritime heritage museum, a digital twin platform for AI-driven operations, and an anti-drone security system. Foundation stones were laid for renewable energy and green fuel projects, rail infrastructure, shipbuilding equipment manufacturing and the government's green tug initiative. The investments are expected to reduce logistics costs, support industrial growth across southern Tamil Nadu, improve regional and international maritime connectivity, and enhance the port's competitiveness as a transshipment hub.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal earlier this week launched and laid the foundation for a series of projects aggregating around INR 1,500 crore at V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Tuticorin, as part of the Centre's push to modernise port infrastructure while integrating sustainability and technology-led operations. Advertisement
Projects worth over INR 160 crore were inaugurated during the visit. These include the V.O. Chidambaranar maritime heritage museum, aimed at showcasing the historical legacy of the port, along with road development works intended to improve cargo and passenger movement within the port ecosystem. A digital twin project was also inaugurated, enabling AI-driven monitoring, predictive maintenance and operational efficiency across port assets. In addition, an anti-drone security system using radar-based detection and jamming technologies was launched to strengthen surveillance and safety at the port.
The minister also laid the foundation stone for projects valued at around INR 1,340 crore. These include an 8 MW wind power plant integrated with 5 MW of energy storage, a 2 MW green hydrogen facility, and a 2 MW ground-mounted solar power plant. An energy management system equipped with smart metering is planned to optimise power consumption and integrate renewable energy usage across port operations.
Within this investment pipeline, INR 131.31 crore has been allocated for rail infrastructure projects to improve evacuation of cargo from the port, while around INR 250 crore will be directed towards manufacturing of shipbuilding equipment. Another INR 367 crore has been earmarked for the government's green tug initiative, which aims to deploy tugs powered by cleaner energy sources for towing, pushing and manoeuvring large vessels.
The minister indicated that these projects are expected to lower logistics costs, attract industrial investment and generate employment across districts such as Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Madurai. He also noted that the scale of infrastructure upgrades, clean energy adoption and technological integration would help the port enhance its role in regional and international shipping networks and compete with established transshipment hubs.
According to port data, cargo handling at V.O. Chidambaranar Port increased 6 per cent year-on-year to 35.97 million tonnes between April last year and January this year. Container traffic during the same period rose 9.4 per cent to over 7.16 lakh TEUs, reflecting steady growth in throughput alongside ongoing capacity expansion.
Source - PTI
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