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.