GANDHIDHAM: A major green-fuel project linking Assam’s industrial capabilities with Gujarat’s maritime infrastructure is moving ahead with the foundation stone ceremony for a 150-tonnes-per-day (TPD) e-methanol plant at Deendayal Port, Kandla.
The project is being jointly taken up by Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited (APCL) and the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA). The foundation stone ceremony is being held on September 26 at the DPA Exhibition Ground in Gandhidham, Gujarat. The project is intended to support the use of cleaner fuels in the maritime sector and contribute to India’s efforts towards reducing dependence on conventional fossil fuels.
The ceremony brings together senior representatives from Assam, Gujarat and the Union government. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are scheduled to lay the foundation stone.
Other prominent attendees include Vinodbhai Chavda, MP from Kutch-Morbi; Maltiben Maheshwari, MLA from Gandhidham; Sushil Kumar Singh, Chairman of the Deendayal Port Authority; and Bikul Deka, Chairman of Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited.
The proposed facility is estimated to involve an investment of around ₹2,300 crore and is planned to be developed through scalable modules. The plant is expected to produce e-methanol for use as a marine fuel, with the project designed to make use of Deendayal Port’s strategic location and maritime infrastructure.
The initiative has particular significance for Assam as APCL, based in Namrup, is expanding its role in the emerging green-fuel sector. The company has identified the 150 TPD e-methanol plant at Kandla as a future project in partnership with Deendayal Port Authority.
The project is also expected to create more than 3,500 direct and indirect employment opportunities, covering areas such as engineering, skilled work, transportation, supply and other supporting activities.
The collaboration follows an agreement between APCL and DPA earlier this year to establish the plant. The January 2026 announcement described the project as part of India’s clean-energy and green-shipping transition. At that stage, the investment was reported at about ₹1,200 crore, while the latest September 2026 project information places the proposed investment at approximately ₹2,300 crore.
The Kandla project represents a new area of cooperation between Assam and Gujarat, combining Assam’s petrochemical expertise with the maritime facilities of one of Gujarat’s major ports. The proposed plant is expected to add to India’s developing alternative-fuel infrastructure and support the wider transition towards cleaner maritime transportation.
