Top News

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 22 (IANS) Kerala is set to accelerate its maritime ambitions with the launch of Phase-2 construction of Adani Group’s Vizhinjam International Deepwater Seaport on Friday, marking a decisive step towards positioning the port as India’s largest transshipment hub.

The development programme, involving an investment of Rs 9,700 crore, will be formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said State Ports Minister V.N. Vasavan on Thursday.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will attend the event as the chief guest, underscoring the Centre’s strategic interest in the project.

Minister Vasavan said the second phase represents a “critical scale-up” of capacity, infrastructure and global competitiveness for Vizhinjam, which began commercial operations barely a year ago.

Under Phase-2, Vizhinjam’s container handling capacity will expand five-fold -- from one million TEUs to five million TEUs annually.

Berth length will be increased from the existing 800 metres to 2,000 metres, and the breakwater will be extended to four kilometres, enabling the port to handle multiple ultra-large container vessels simultaneously.

Once completed, Vizhinjam will become India’s largest straight-berth port, capable of accommodating four mother ships at a time.

New infrastructure planned in this phase includes a railway yard, a multi-purpose berth, a liquid terminal and a tank farm.

The liquid terminal, in particular, is expected to give Vizhinjam a competitive edge by allowing large vessels to refuel during long international voyages, currently available only at select global ports.

Given Vizhinjam’s proximity to major East-West shipping lanes, the facility is expected to attract significant additional traffic and generate substantial tax revenues for the state.

Vasavan said a major advantage of the Phase-2 expansion is that it will not require additional land acquisition.

Around 55 hectares will be created through sea reclamation, while container yard capacity will rise from 35,000 units to 1,00,000 units.

The total number of cranes will increase to 100, including 30 ship-to-shore cranes.

Highlighting early operational success, the minister noted that Vizhinjam has already handled over 15 lakh TEUs from 710 vessels and established direct services to ports in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.

Originally planned for completion by 2045, the port’s full development is now targeted for 2028 following a supplementary concessionaire agreement signed in 2023.

“With Phase-2, Vizhinjam moves from promise to scale,” Minister Vasavan said, adding that the expansion would catalyse logistics, employment and trade across southern India.

--IANS

sg/dpb