DBT Bureau
Pune, 30 August 2026
V.O. Chidambaranar Port achieved a significant milestone by handling its first crude palm oil vessel at Coal Jetty-2, which has been suitably modified with pipelines connecting the berth to storage tanks located approximately 5 km from the jetty.
Susanta Kumar Purohit, IRSEE, Chairperson, launched the discharge operations of crude palm oil in the presence of Rajesh Soundararajan, IAS, Deputy Chairperson; K.T.V. Narayanan, Managing Director, KTV Health Food Private Limited; and senior officials of the Port.
The vessel MT. ZY Galaxy, with a draft of 9.70 metres and an LOA of 143 metres, carrying 15,000 tonnes of crude palm oil from the Port of Kunak, Malaysia, was berthed at the Port at 1000 hrs on 28.08.2026. Discharge of the entire consignment is expected to be completed by 31.08.2026.
The importer, KTV Health Food Private Limited, has established four storage tanks in the Port’s industrial zone and has a manufacturing capacity of 1,000 tonnes of refined palmolein per day. The refined palmolein produced by the company is distributed for regional domestic consumption. The vessel’s shipping agent is M/s. Seaport Services, Tuticorin.
V.O. Chidambaranar Port has allotted around 1,633 acres of port land for setting up port-based industries such as power plants, chemicals, warehousing, food processing, edible oil, and green hydrogen and its derivatives.
Susanta Kumar Purohit, IRSEE, Chairperson, stated that the handling of the first crude palm oil vessel at the modified Coal Jetty-2 marks another step towards diversifying cargo, strengthening port-based industries, and enhancing the Port’s logistics ecosystem, while supporting the growth of the edible oil and food-processing sector in the region. He further stated that V.O. Chidambaranar Port has been a frontrunner in expanding port-based industries on Port land under the Sagarmala initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, led by Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
