Thoothukudi: VOC Port achieves 40% growth in LPG handling

MADURAI: VO Chidambaranar Port, Thoothukudi, has achieved significant growth in LPG handling, with a record of covering 1,33,520 tonnes of LPG in the current fiscal of 2025–26, until July.

The growth witnessed is 40.01 per cent compared to the 95,364 tonnes handled during the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Over the past five years, LPG handling at the Port has demonstrated strong performance with steady year-on-year growth. The volumes have steadily increased from 0.58 lakh tonnes in 2020–21, to 0.70 lakh tonnes in 2021–22, 0.94 lakh tonnes in 2022–23, 2.98 lakh tonnes in 2023–24, and reached a maximum of 4.02 lakh tonnes in 2024–25.

All LPG operations are being efficiently carried out at the oil jetty, ensuring smooth cargo movement and reliable service to stakeholders. The oil jetty is equipped with a berth having a quay length of 150 metres and a draft of 13 metres, capable of handling vessels with a Length Overall (LOA) ranging from 150 to 230 metres.

Currently, the oil jetty accommodates vessels up to 40,000 DWT (Deadweight Tonnage). To further enhance its capacity, the port is upgrading the facility by constructing new berthing dolphins within the existing structure, enabling it to handle vessels up to 55,000 DWT.

Alongside LPG, the port has also recorded a steady increase in overall liquid cargo handling. Volumes have steadily risen from 15.24 lakh tonnes in 2022-23, to 16.29 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, and further to 18.79 lakh tonnes in 2024–25.

Speaking on the development, Susanta Kumar Purohit, the chairperson of VOC Port Authority, in a statement, said that the steady growth in LPG and liquid cargo handling shows the Port’s strong commitment to meeting the nation’s energy and industrial needs. He further added that the oil jetty is being upgraded by strengthening the berth so that it can handle both smaller and larger ships.