V.O. Chidambaranar Port Hosts Conference on Green Ports & Shipping

Tuticorin:

Port Wings News Network:

As part of a nationwide series of thematic workshops and roadshows ahead of the India Maritime Week 2025, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, one of the prominent major ports under the Ministry of Shipping and located in Tamil Nadu, organised a one-day Conference on “Green Ports & Shipping – Chartering Sustainable Maritime Future” on 1 August 2025 at Tuticorin.

Organised under the aegis of NAVIC Cell–3 (Green Initiatives & Pollution Control of Ministry of Port Shipping and Waterways,) the event brought together key policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and maritime stakeholders to discuss on sustainable, low-carbon, and environmentally responsible practices across the entire maritime ecosystem, including ports, shipping, and related logistics.

Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Shantanu Thakur, State for Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, gave their felicitation on the event through video messages and highlighted the Government’s commitment in pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to drive sustainability in the maritime sector to meet the sustainability targets.

T.K. Ramachandran, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, virtually released the event’s souvenir and a video on Green initiatives of the VOC Port.

In his address, Ramachandran stated that Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has formulated regulatory frameworks like the “Harit Sagar” Guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures for green transition, and Dredging Guidelines to promote sustainable Port and Shipping operations.

Vijay Kumar, IAS, Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India and Nodal Officer, NAVIC Cell–3 (Green Initiatives and Pollution Control), highlighted the Government’s initiatives in transition to renewable energy sources, adopting energy-efficient technologies, promoting the use of green fuels such as LNG, ammonia, and hydrogen, and upgrading port infrastructure and equipment to align with green standards.

In his welcome address, Susanta Kumar Purohit, IRSEE, Chairperson, V.O.Chidambaranar Port Authority, emphasized that the primary objective of the conference is to foster a unified and actionable dialogue to drive India’s ports and shipping industry towards net zero emissions.

The Conference was graced by the esteemed presence of Abhay Bakre, IRSEE, Mission Director, National Green Hydrogen Mission, Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI – (The Energy and Resources Institute), Dr. Malini V. Shankar, Vice Chancellor, Indian Maritime University (IMU), and Rajesh Soundararajan, Deputy Chairperson, VOC Port Authority.

The conference included insightful sessions on critical topics including Decarbonisation in the Maritime Sector, Green Financing and Policy Frameworks, and a panel discussion session on ‘Transforming India’s Maritime Sector for the next decade’. Subject experts and senior officials from the Inland Waterways Authority of India, TERI – The Energy and Resources Institute, National Thermal Power Corporation, Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Limited, PwC India, Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology, NITI Aayog, Directorate General of Shipping, RINA Consulting, Indian Maritime University, and others participated in the sessions, contributing valuable insights about the themes and challenges under each topic. The event concluded with a strong reaffirmation by all participants to drive sustainable maritime practices, encouraging innovation and collaboration to support India’s environmental objectives.