Kerala's Vizhinjam International Seaport Welcomes 100th Commercial Vessel

The Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala achieved a significant milestone this Christmas by receiving its 100th commercial vessel, MSC MICHELA. The vessel, sailing under the Portuguese flag, arrived on Wednesday at 1:30 PM.

With a Length Overall (LOA) of 299.87 metres and a draft of 12.5 metres, MSC MICHELA docked at the port from Mumbai and will head to Shanghai after unloading containers, according to a port official.

This milestone highlights the port’s growing prominence in global shipping. On July 12, the port had earlier welcomed 'San Fernando,' a 300-metre-long Chinese mothership equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

Vizhinjam International Seaport stands out as India’s first semi-automated port, boasting modern equipment, advanced automation, and IT systems.

The Vizhinjam project is a joint initiative by the Kerala Government and the Adani Group under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd (AVPPL) was formed as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to execute the project.

A concession agreement between AVPPL and the Kerala Ports Department was signed on August 17, 2015, with construction commencing on December 5, 2015.

Phase 1 of the project is operational, and the subsequent phases are expected to be completed by 2028.

Once fully operational, Vizhinjam is set to play a pivotal role in boosting India's maritime trade, offering advanced facilities and serving as a key transshipment hub.

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