Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 22 (NationPress) Kerala is poised to enhance its maritime capabilities with the commencement of Phase-2 construction of the Adani Group’s Vizhinjam International Deepwater Seaport on Friday. This initiative signifies a pivotal move towards establishing the port as India’s largest transshipment hub.

The ambitious development plan, with an investment of Rs 9,700 crore, will be officially inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as disclosed by State Ports Minister V.N. Vasavan on Thursday.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal is set to grace the occasion as the chief guest, highlighting the Central Government’s strategic interest in this venture.

Minister Vasavan noted that the second phase signifies a “critical scale-up” in capacity, infrastructure, and global competitiveness for Vizhinjam, which just commenced commercial operations a year ago.

Phase-2 will see the container handling capacity surge five-fold, increasing from one million TEUs to five million TEUs annually.

The berth length will expand from the current 800 metres to 2,000 metres, and the breakwater extension to four kilometres will allow the port to accommodate multiple ultra-large container ships simultaneously.

Upon completion, Vizhinjam is set to become India’s largest straight-berth port, capable of catering to four mother ships concurrently.

New infrastructure planned for this phase includes a railway yard, a multi-purpose berth, a liquid terminal, and a tank farm.

Particularly, the liquid terminal is anticipated to provide Vizhinjam with a competitive advantage by enabling large vessels to refuel during lengthy international voyages, a service currently limited to select global ports.

Due to Vizhinjam’s strategic location near major East-West shipping lanes, the facility is expected to draw considerable additional traffic and generate substantial tax revenue for the state.

Vasavan emphasized that a significant benefit of the Phase-2 expansion is that it will not necessitate additional land acquisition.

Approximately 55 hectares will be created through sea reclamation, while container yard capacity will increase from 35,000 units to 100,000 units.

The total number of cranes will rise to 100, including 30 ship-to-shore cranes.

Highlighting early operational success, the minister pointed out that Vizhinjam has already processed over 1.5 million TEUs from 710 vessels and has established direct services to ports in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

Originally slated for completion by 2045, the port’s full development timeline has been accelerated to 2028 following a supplementary concessionaire agreement signed in 2023.

“With Phase-2, Vizhinjam transitions from promise to scale,” stated Minister Vasavan, emphasizing that this expansion will catalyze logistics, employment, and trade across southern India.