Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation Limited (SPIC) is moving ahead with plans to establish export facilities for green ammonia at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. SPIC Chairman Ashwin C. Muthiah met Susanta Kumar Purohit, Chairperson of the VO Chidambaranar Port Authority, to discuss setting up the new facilities and upgrading berth infrastructure to handle 4.5 million tons of SPIC cargo in the near future.
Port Authority Readies Infrastructure Upgrades
During the discussions, the Port Authority chairperson outlined several upcoming upgrades to strengthen Thoothukudi’s capacity. These include:
*Dredging of the channel and inner harbour to accommodate vessels with a 15.50 m draft.
*Construction of Berth-10 for bulk cargo handling.
*Conversion of Berth-7 into a multi-cargo facility.
The infrastructure improvements are expected to provide SPIC with the necessary support for scaling up exports, particularly in the green ammonia segment.
Fertiliser Sector Shows Strong Growth
Muthiah highlighted the robust performance of India’s fertiliser sector. Between April and June 2025, the country consolidated its position as the world’s second-largest consumer and third-largest producer of fertilisers. Following the record domestic urea output of over 314 lakh metric tons in 2023–24, India has maintained near self-sufficiency in key fertilisers, meeting about 87% of urea and 90% of NPK requirements through local production.
Policy Support Driving Self-Sufficiency
Thehindubusinessline.com reported that, according to Muthiah, government-backed initiatives boost productivity and cut import dependence, reinforcing high growth in fertiliser manufacturing. He said these measures lay a strong foundation for sustainable agricultural growth and position India to lead in both conventional and green fertiliser production.
