 "Kerala’s Vizhinjam Port welcomes its first mothership: Why is this significant?")
Vizhinjam Port has welcomed its first mothership.
The San Fernando container ship owned by shipping giant Maersk, which set sail from Xiamen Port and which has a capacity of 8,000 to 9,000 twenty-foot equivalents (TEUs), arrived at the port in Kerala on Thursday.
The mothership was given a water salute by four tugs, which piloted it to the dock.
An inauguration ceremony for the port will be held tomorrow with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, central and state ministers, dignitaries, officials, and representatives of the public slated to attend.
Thousands of people are expected to witness the ceremony.
But why is this development significant? And why is the port important?
Let’s take a closer look:
Why is the development significant?
The arrival of the 300-metre vessel signifies the beginning of trials at the port – which is slated to become fully operational in September or October.
As per New Indian Express, the trials are very important as they will test whether the port can measure up to international standards on parameters such as dwell times, vessel turnaround, and berth productivity.
It is also important to ensure the port can handle containers smoothly before it officially opens.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe arrival of the San Fernando also marks the beginning of regular commercial ship services, including container ships, at Vizhinjam Port, state Port Minister V N Vasavan told reporters.
The ship will utilise the services of Vizhinjam Port for the handling of 400 containers.
The mothership carries large containers which will be transferred to other ships and later transported to other ports in the country and abroad.
The port will witness the arrival of several large vessels during the trials including a 400-metre container ship.
Large vessels will unload containers at the port and then leave, making way for smaller vessels to arrive at Vizhinjam and transport these containers to various ports in the country and abroad.
This will mark the beginning of full-scale transhipment operations at Vizhinjam Port, the minister
Why is the port important?
It is located near Kerala’s Kovalam Beach, Vizhinjam is India’s first semi-automated port.
A dream project of Kerala, it is also India’s first deep-water container transhipment port.
It is equipped with modern equipment and advanced automation and IT systems.
As per Deccan Herald, the port has a capacity of one million TEUs per year.
The all-weather port can accommodate vessels with as much as 18,000 TEUs.
After its expansion, it will be able to handle up to three million TEUs per year.
Phases 2 and 3 of the project are expected to be completed by 2028
As per New Indian Express, the port has eight ship-to-shore cranes – which transfer containers from the ship to the terminal track.
This includes India’s biggest crane (1620-tonnes) as well as 23-yard cranes.
The port has a 3,000-metre breakwater and 800-metre container berth ready.
It will also be a global bunkering hub, supplying clean and green fuels like hydrogen and ammonia.
Of the 32 cranes required, all but one have come. A 1.7 km approach road for connectivity is almost complete, while the office building, security area and electric lines are ready.
The total cost of the Vizhinjam port was Rs 8,867 crore.
Of this, the state government and the Central government provided Rs 5,595 crore and Rs 818 crore respectively.
‘Natural port’
The port will provide shipping companies services of an international standard.
As per Deccan Chronicle, the port’s draft makes it an ideal stop for the world’s biggest container ships.
“It is a natural port with depths between 20 and 24 meters. We have found that the ocean bottom here is rocky, which is very rare. Elsewhere, we would have to dredge to attain such depths,” Kerala Minister for Ports and Cooperatives V N Vasavan said.
The port is also fairly close to the International East-West Shipping Route.
Sources told The Hindu the time taken from the port to the Suez route, around half an hour to one hour, is almost the same as the Colombo Port.
Ships setting sail from other ports on India’s east and west coasts take over five hours to reach the shipping route.
The port is also expected to create around 5,000 jobs, as per India Today.
The minister said that construction works have been completed to provide world-class services, paving the way for international vessels to call at the port.
Leading shipping companies worldwide will follow suit.
Vijayan has said this port will make Kerala the hub of container business in the country.
“There will be significant development in industries like commerce, transportation, tourism, and others, leading to overall economic growth of the state. The Vizhinjam port will be a catalyst for this growth. This is a dream come true for the government and the people, who have worked together to make it a reality. We can proudly celebrate this achievement,” Vijayan said.
The Kerala government partnered with Adani Group to build the port via the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd (AVPPL), a special purpose vehicle, was formed for this project.
The state government and Adani Group signed the formal agreement in August 2015, as per Deccan Herald.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening, the chief minister said special attention and care have been taken by the government to complete the port construction project in this manner since 2016.
“A special action calendar was prepared, and monthly reviews were conducted. Even a special mobile app was prepared for daily reviews. The construction work was carried out ensuring the availability of construction materials from within and outside the state.
“The timely completion of each component of the project was ensured. Adani Group has worked to complete this project in a time-bound manner,” Vijayan said.
At the time of signing the contract for the port construction, the Central Environment Ministry had recommended Rs 8 crore for rehabilitation works.
“However, the state government, with a very favourable approach towards fishermen, has spent Rs 100 crore for rehabilitation so far,” the chief minister said.
The government has utilised funds to address the issues raised by the Vizhinjam residents, and Adani Company’s CSR funds have also been used to carry out necessary works. More than 5,000 direct employment opportunities have been created as part of this port project, he added.
With inputs from agencies
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