V O Chidambaranar Port Authority handled 1,869 windmill blades till December in the financial year 2024 – 25, reflecting significant growth of 40% compared to 1,332 blades handled during the same period in the previous financial year. In December, the Tuticorin port achieved an extraordinary milestone by handling 294 windmill blades, reflecting an exceptional growth of 234% compared to the 88 blades handled in December 2023.
The number of windmill blade and accessory handling ships have also increased considerably to 75 ships during this financial year till December 2024, when compared to 49 ships handled during the corresponding period of the last financial year, witnessing 50% growth. To support this growing demand, the port offers ample area of around 1,00,000 square metre within the customs-bound area for the storage of windmill blades, ensuring secure and efficient handling of these oversized cargoes.
The port’s infrastructure further supports efficient operations with adequate cranes for faster and safe loading, congestion-free roads facilitating timely arrival of windmill blades to the port, seamless gate entry system providing easy access to one-dimensional cargo and skilled manpower ensuring smooth and safe loading of the windmill blades and accessories.
Windmill blades and accessories manufactured in Bengaluru, Trichy and Chennai are primarily exported to the United States, Turkey, Australia, Spain, Finland and other countries. Port authority chairman Susanta Kumar Purohit appreciated the efforts of port officials, agents, transporters and exporters for their outstanding achievement. He stated that this accomplishment reinforced VOC Port’s reputation as the preferred hub for exporting windmill blades and the journey toward a greener future by promoting sustainability.
