VOC Port handles first crude palm oil vessel at Coal Jetty-2

V.O. Chidambaranar Port has handled its first crude palm oil vessel at Coal Jetty-2 after the berth was remodified with dedicated pipelines connecting it to storage tanks located 5 km away.

The vessel, MT ZY Galaxy, carrying 15,000 tonnes of crude palm oil from Kunak, Malaysia, berthed at VOC Port on 28 August 2026. Discharge operations were launched by Susanta Kumar Purohit, IRSEE, Chairperson, in the presence of Rajesh Soundararajan, IAS, Deputy Chairperson, K.T.V. Narayanan, Managing Director, KTV Health Food, and senior Port officials.

The development is supported by four storage tanks and a refining facility established by KTV Health Food in the Port’s industrial zone. The facility has a refining capacity of 1,000 tonnes of Palmolein per day.

The first crude palm oil vessel handling comes as VOC Port continues to expand its capabilities while working on digital transformation and sustainable port operations. In July, VOC Port Authority signed an MoU with Port of Antwerp-Bruges International NV and APEC Antwerp-Flanders Port Training Center to support knowledge exchange, capacity building, digital transformation, green port initiatives, skill development and future-ready port operations.

The port has also made progress in reducing its environmental impact. According to its first Sustainability Report, VOC Port reduced net carbon emissions by around 45%, while renewable energy now offsets nearly 94% of its energy-consumption equivalent. Carbon intensity per tonne of cargo has also declined by nearly half over the last four years.

The port has also been recognised as a Scope-2 Emission Free Port and has been developing initiatives including renewable energy, electrification and green hydrogen.

The latest development further strengthens VOC Port’s role in liquid bulk handling, industrial connectivity and regional trade.