Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today set in motion the next phase of development at V.O. Chidambaranar Port, inaugurating and laying the foundation stones for eight projects involving a cumulative investment of ₹753.68 crore.

The largest investment in the package is the ₹517.19-crore conversion of Berth No. 7 into a Container Terminal, for which the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone.

The new terminal will add 4.2 lakh TEUs of annual container-handling capacity, creating a substantial addition to VOC Port’s container infrastructure. With a 370-metre quay, around 10 hectares of backup area, three quay cranes and nine RTGCs, the terminal is being designed for higher-volume and more efficient container operations. The proposed enhancement of draft to 14.20 metres will also facilitate calls by larger mainline container vessels.

The additional capacity is expected to improve shipping connectivity for exporters and importers, reduce dependence on transshipment and strengthen VOC Port’s position as a principal container gateway for southern Tamil Nadu and its wider hinterland.

The Hon’ble Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for a 3 MW Green Hydrogen Manufacturing and Refuelling Station, being developed at an estimated cost of ₹81.33 crore. He  also inaugurated the Green Methanol Bunkering and Refuelling Facility, developed at a cost of ₹38.12 crore.The eight projects collectively address different parts of the same maritime value chain.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated four electric buses, procured at a cost of ₹4.67 crore, further extending clean mobility within the Port ecosystem. He  inaugurated the 3.37-km four-lane road connecting TTPS Roundana and Check Post-2, developed at a cost of ₹47.46 crore. 

The eight projects collectively address different parts of the same maritime value chain.