Deendayal Port (Kandla) has achieved a Level 6 IAPH readiness rating for methanol bunkering following a successful shore-to-ship trial on April 2, 2026. The move positions India as a key player in green maritime corridors, with plans to supply 500 KTPA of e-methanol by 2028 to support the global shift toward Net-Zero shipping.
Kandla | April 2, 2026 – In a landmark move for South Asian maritime infrastructure, the Deendayal Port Authority (Kandla Port) has officially vaulted into the global elite of green shipping hubs. Following a successful shore-to-ship trial and a rigorous international audit, the port has been positioned as the primary gateway for India’s methanol bunkering future.
The initiative, described by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, as a “resolute step toward a Net-Zero maritime future,” aligns India with the IMO’s 2050 decarbonization targets and the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Technical Milestone: The IAPH Level 6 Rating
Kandla Port’s advancement is not merely procedural but technically verified. The port engaged DNV Maritime Advisory Services to conduct a comprehensive gap analysis of its existing infrastructure.
The assessment resulted in Kandla being awarded a Level 6 rating on the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) Port Readiness Level (PRL) scale. This rating signifies that the port possesses:
- Validated Infrastructure: Existing tank storage, specialized pipelines, and compatible jetties.
- Safety Frameworks: Robust regulatory and emergency protocols specifically for methanol handling.
- Operational Maturity: The ability to move beyond cargo handling into active vessel refueling.
The April 2nd Trial: Shore-to-Ship Validation
On April 2, 2026, the port executed a successful shore-to-ship methanol bunkering trial that served as a proof-of-concept for India’s bunkering industry. The operation was a multi-stakeholder collaboration involving:
- Public Sector: Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and Deendayal Port Authority.
- Private Industry: Stolt Tankers, J M Baxi, and Aegis Vopak.
- Verification: DNV teams conducted on-site monitoring to ensure the transfer protocols met global best practices.
The trial successfully validated bunker transfer flow rates, vapor recovery systems, and safety shut-off synchronization, proving that Kandla’s “grey methanol” legacy infrastructure is fully “green methanol” ready.
The Strategic Road Map: 500 KTPA by 2028
Kandla Port is not stopping at trials. The Port Authority has outlined a massive scaling strategy to capture the Asia-Europe trade corridor traffic:
- Target: Availability of 500,000 tonnes per annum (KTPA) of RFNBO-compliant (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) e-methanol.
- Timeline: Full commercial scale by 2028-29.
- Next Phase: Following the shore-to-ship success, the port is now preparing for ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering trials to accommodate ultra-large dual-fuel container vessels that cannot always berth for refueling.
India as a Green Hub
“Our ports are evolving into hubs of innovation,” said Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. “By embracing cleaner fuels like methanol, we are not just reducing emissions but enhancing our global competitiveness. This milestone demonstrates India’s resolve to lead the global transition toward green shipping corridors.”
The Minister emphasized that this move would attract significant foreign investment and technology collaboration, reinforcing India’s role in the emerging global “Green Corridor” network linking the East to the West.
The DNV Perspective: A Framework for Safety
The technical success of the operation was underpinned by a rigorous advisory process led by DNV Maritime. Utilizing its proprietary Port Readiness Level (PRL) framework, DNV conducted an exhaustive study of Kandla’s technical, operational, and safety ecosystem to ensure total alignment with international standards and best practices for bio-methanol bunkering.
By evaluating the port’s existing infrastructure against global benchmarks, DNV provided the roadmap necessary for Kandla to transition from a cargo-handling port to a sophisticated refueling hub.
Shri Sushil Kumar Singh, Chairman of the Deendayal Port Authority, highlighted the value of this partnership in bridging the gap between local operations and global requirements:
“DNV helped us gain a much deeper understanding of the methanol bunkering system,” stated Chairman Singh. “Based on the gaps identified by DNV, we have taken targeted steps to address these as we progress with developing Kandla Port as a green methanol bunkering hub.”
This data-driven approach ensures that as Kandla moves toward its goal of supplying 500 KTPA of e-methanol, the infrastructure remains both scalable and compliant with the highest international safety regulations.
Why Kandla Port? The Geographic Advantage
Located on India’s western coast in the Gulf of Kutch, Kandla Port has a natural advantage. As one of India’s highest-volume ports, it already handles significant volumes of methanol as chemical cargo. By pivoting this infrastructure toward bunkering, Kandla avoids the high “sunk costs” associated with greenfield projects, allowing it to offer more competitive bunker rates for early adopters of methanol-fueled tonnage.
Source: Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla