The fate of the Strait of Hormuz finds itself shrouded in uncertainty once again, as Iran reimposes restrictions on the key commercial waterway and a US naval blockade remains in place. As the world is still in the grip of a shipping and supply crisis due to this, an Indian port has emerged as a prime possibility to resolve part of these issues – Vizhinjam Port in Kerala.
Vizhinjam Port is India’s first deep-water container transshipment port in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district, which was conceptualized in 1991 and now serves as a major transshipment hub for the world, with a hundred ships said to be lined up there.
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All about Vizhinjam Port
Vizhinjam Port was built under public-private partnership mode at a cost $8,900 Crores. It is operated by the Adani Group and the majority stake in it lies with the Government of Kerala.
According to its website, the port is primarily designed to meet the needs of container transportation along with multi-purpose cargo and bulk cargo. A shipping port is a facility where cargo containers are transferred from one ship to another before continuing to their final destination. These ports handle large volumes of international cargo.
The vision of Vizhinjam Port is “to be the preferred international transshipment gateway in the Indian subcontinent known for operational excellence, industry leadership and sustainability enabled by a future-ready port ecosystem.”
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The mission is to “develop Vizhinjam Port as a leading deepwater transshipment hub leveraging cutting-edge infrastructure and technology to enable global trade, boost India’s blue economy and promote inclusive growth,” according to the port’s website.
The port was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in Thiruvananthapuram in May last year and has an annual capacity of up to 5 million TEU.
According to Congressman Shashi Tharoor, who described it as “India’s answer to transshipment to the world”, the port handled 61 ships last month alone, a “new record”. He also said that 100 docking calls were still pending.
Tharoor said the port handled one million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in record time and is now in the fast-tracking phase two.
Strategic location, natural advantage
The port is located approximately 10 nautical miles from the major and often busy international shipping route linking Europe, the Arabian Gulf and the Far East, making its location commercially strategic.
The company also says the port has a deep draft of 18 meters near its shore, which could allow it to host very large next-generation container ships that require a draft of more than 20 metres.
The port is also future-proof with its capacity of over 18,000 typical vessels and infrastructure that can be expanded to accommodate growing shipping demand.
