Kandla Takes Giant Leap in Green Maritime Fuels with ₹2300-Crore e-Methanol Plant
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
KANDLA: Marking a pivotal milestone in India’s drive toward a self-reliant and decarbonised maritime sector, the foundation stone (Shilanyas) for a 150-tonnes-per-day (TPD) e-Methanol plant was laid at Deendayal Port in Kandla, Gujarat. The state-of-the-art facility is being jointly developed by Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APL) and the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA).
With a total projected investment of approximately ₹2,300 crore across two phases, the facility is slated to generate over 3,500 jobs while significantly strengthening national energy security and positioning India as a global bunkering and export hub for cleaner marine fuels.
Bridging the Northeast and the West Coast
The joint venture establishes an unprecedented industrial corridor linking Namrup in Assam’s Dibrugarh district directly to one of India’s busiest maritime gateways on the Arabian Sea.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted the civilisational and economic resonance of the partnership.
“Assam and Gujarat share an ancient bond, echoing through the stories of Bhagwan Shri Krishna, Dwarka, and Rukmini of Kundil, celebrated to this day at the Madhavpur Ghed Mela,” Sonowal stated. “Today, that historical connection takes on a modern economic dimension as Namrup and Kandla join hands through energy and enterprise. From the Brahmaputra to the Arabian Sea, this partnership unites regional strengths for a shared national mission.”
Driving the Green Maritime Transition
The initiative operates under the framework of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maritime vision, backed by nationwide policy interventions including the Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines, the Green Tug Transition Programme, and port electrification drives.
Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, shipping and ports have been earmarked as priority arenas for the domestic adoption and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives, notably Green Methanol.
Kandla has been at the forefront of this transformation:
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Green Hydrogen Infrastructure: Deendayal Port has already commissioned a 1 MW electrolyser-based Green Hydrogen facility.
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Land Allocation: Around 3,400 acres have been dedicated specifically to large-scale Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia production facilities.
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Operational Readiness: The port successfully executed commercial methanol bunkering earlier this year, setting the stage for domestic consumption and export.
The addition of the 150 TPD e-Methanol plant solidifies Kandla’s positioning as a primary green-fuel cluster on global maritime trade routes, offering low-emission alternatives to international vessels and steering India closer to its net-zero shipping commitments.
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