After Mundra Port's Record, DP World Cochin Hosts Another Giant Container Ship

Following closely behind Adani's Mundra Port, which recently welcomed the largest container ship to ever dock at an Indian port, the DP World-operated International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) in Kochi has now handled MSC Mara, another of the largest container vessels to visit an Indian port.

This impressive vessel has a length overall (LOA) of 364 metres, a width of 51 metres, and a carrying capacity of 15,934 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

For comparison, MSC Anna, a massive container ship that anchored at Adani Ports Mundra on 26 May 2024, has a LOA of 399.98 metres and a carrying capacity of 19,200 TEUs.

ICTT Cochin has embarked on an extensive infrastructure expansion to significantly enhance its lift capacity and handling capabilities to accommodate ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs). As part of this effort, it recently commissioned two ship-to-shore (STS) Mega Max cranes, capable of handling up to 25 container rows.

These, along with the addition of four electrified rubber tired gantry (e-RTGs) cranes and yard capacity expansions, have improved the terminal’s ability to offer faster vessel turnaround times while ensuring sustainable cargo movement.

The arrival of MSC Mara underscores the terminal’s growing significance as a premier gateway and burgeoning transshipment hub for cargo movement to and from South Indian markets.

The Kochi terminal enables direct connections for nearly 50 per cent of the throughput EXIM cargo to West Asia, the Far East, Europe, and the Mediterranean via mainline services.

Additionally, DP World Cochin serves as a vital hub for the flow of coastal cargo between India's east and west coasts.