India’s Deendayal Port Authority Joins Methanol Institute to Drive Sustainable Shipping

Trade association Methanol Institute (MI) has welcomed India’s Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, as its newest member.

Positioned along the Rotterdam-Singapore Green Shipping Corridor, DPA is reportedly building infrastructure for zero-emission fuel bunkering, piloting green hydrogen and battery-powered tugboats, rolling out SOPs for methanol bunkering and setting up a Centre of Excellence for green maritime fuels.

According to the association, the port, which is said to be handling around 140 million tonnes of cargo each year, is stepping up as a key player in the shift to cleaner fuels like bio-methanol.

Methanol Institute stated: “We look forward to working together to advance methanol as a marine fuel and support the transition to sustainable shipping.”

Infrastructure Development at Kandla Port

At the beginning of 2025, the Indian Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways unveiled two major infrastructure projects worth ₹570 billion (around $6.6 billion) aimed at enhancing the capacity of Kandla Port.

The overarching ambition of the projects is to improve port operations, increase efficiency, and drive economic development by supporting both dry and liquid cargo handling, creating new employment opportunities, and reducing turnaround times for vessels carrying liquid cargo.

Shedding more light on the “modernization” of Kandla Port, the Indian government shared that DPA has been working on several initiatives to enhance the port’s capacity.

Membership Growth and Industry Initiatives

In the past year, Methanol Institute welcomed several new members, including Axpo Group, a Switzerland-based renewable energy producer, and U.S. technology company Emvolon.

Furthermore, together with ECSA, FuelsEurope, eFuel Alliance, EWAB, and HydrogenEurope, it established a new Clean Maritime Fuels Platform, an industry initiative aiming to enhance communication between the shipping sector and fuel producers.

In addition, the association was granted consultative status by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), allowing it to contribute its expertise to the development of shipping regulations.