Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram
Port under construction in Kerala, India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram (English IPA: vɪzɪnˈdʒam ˌɪntərˈnæʃənl ˈsiːpɔːt ˌtɪrʊvənənˈtɑːpʊrəm ⓘ,VIZH-in-jam in-ter-NASH-uh-nuhl SEE-port thir-uh-vuh-nuh-thuh-PUR-uhm) (Malayalam IPA: [ʋiɻiɲːam an̪d̪aːʃt̪ɾam t̪uɾamukʰam t̪iɾuʋan̪ant̪upuɾam] ⓘ) is India's first deep water container transshipment port, currently under trial run from July 2024. Located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, the port is designed to be a multi-purpose, all-weather, green port located 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) away from the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.[9] It is poised to become India's first automated port[10] and holds a unique position as the only Indian port directly adjacent to an international shipping lane. It is the deepest port in India and the third deepest in the world. The port's location offers a significant advantage: it lies just 10 nautical miles (19 km) from the heavily trafficked east-west shipping channel connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf, Southeast Asia, and the Far East ((Suez- Far East rout and Far East - Middle East route). Additionally, the port boasts a natural depth of more than 20 Meters,[11] eliminating the need for dredging. Vizhinjam is the first international deepwater transhipment port in the Indian subcontinent, with a natural depth of more than 20 Meters,[11] which is crucial to allow entry of large vessels and motherships.
Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram | |
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Location | |
Country | India |
Location | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
Coordinates | 8°22′21″N 76°59′55″E |
UN/LOCODE | IN NYY 1 |
Details | |
Opened | |
Operated by | Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL) & Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd (AVPL) |
Owned by | Government of Kerala |
Type of harbour | All-Weather,[3] Multipurpose,[3] Green[4],Deep-Draft, Deep-Water Mega Seaport |
No. of berths | 2 (2024)[5] |
Draft depth | 16 m (52 ft)[lower-alpha 1][8] |
Statistics | |
Website www |
The port's strategic location along the Indian coastline provides unparalleled access to other Indian ports on the eastern and western coasts. The port's breakwater is the deepest and longest in India, with a height of 7.5 meters above the waterline and extending 22 meters below the waterline. It is also the second longest breakwater in the country, with a length of 3.1 kilometers, and will be extended to 4.5 kilometers during the final phase.[12] The STS Super Post-Panamax crane has an outreach of 72 meters, a back reach of 20 meters, a rail gauge of 35 meters, and a total lifting height of 74 meters.[13] Being a greenfield seaport, it provides flexibility in design and future expansion. The port is a gateway to Indian Ocean. The seaport will be connected by the third-longest railway tunnel in India, presently under planning phase.[14]
It possesses the capability to host world's massive cargo ships such as vessels of the ULCS container ships like the MSC Irina.The port is designed to accommodate large container ships, including those exceeding 24,000 TEU such as MSC Irina. The cruise berth under construction along the breakwater will be able to handle large cruise ships such as Icon of the seas. The Seaport's location offers an advantage as it is situated near an international shipping channel, facilitating connections to global trade routes. When fully commissioned, it is expected that the seaport may have the capacity to cater to 50 percent of the container transhipment needs of India that currently take place at Dubai, Colombo and Singapore.[15] The first phase of the project amounts to 7,700 crore Indian rupee, and the combined cost of all four phases, including the remaining three, is 23,300 crore making the total cost 31,000 crore. The Vizhinjam Seaport project is the first and only port project in India to receive VGF funding.
There is no littoral sedimentation and due to natural depth availability, the site needs minimal capital dredging requirements. Each berth has the capacity to handle 24,000 TEU. The Port is located on the Arabian Sea – Laccadive Sea – Indian Ocean and the first phase is expected to be commissioned in Dec 2024. It is a state owned port, owned by the Government of Kerala and will be operated by the Adani Group for a period of 40 years.
Vizhinjam International Seaport is expected to have an impact on existing cargo movement to other ports and will cater to transshipment. The majority of containers originating from or destined for India are typically transshipped or subjected to double handling at international ports such as Colombo in Sri Lanka, Salalah in Oman, Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai and Singapore Port. Vizhinjam Seaport will primarily engage in competing with these international ports for container transshipment activities. The development of the port will be carried out in three phases, and the first phase is expected to get completed by September 2024. It is proposed to follow the landlord port model, with the intention of catering for passenger, container and other cargo shipping.[16]