Thiruvananthapuram Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said the deep-water international transhipment port at Vizhinjam will offer "tough competition" to similar ports in Colombo and Singapore.
Sonowal said with its "location advantage" of being close to international shipping routes and its "deep draft capabilities", Vizhinjam seaport was well positioned as a preferred option for transshipment.
The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways said that in view of the port's capacity to service large container ships, he hopes to see a "positive change" in international cargo transshipment from Colombo and Singapore to Vizhinjam in the near future. .
"This port will provide a viable alternative and option to major shipping routes to mitigate disruption to the global supply chain," he said in his speech welcoming the first cargo ship to the port.
The 300-metre-long Chinese mothership 'San Fernando', which docked at the port a day ago, was formally received by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday in a ceremony in which Sonowal was also present.
The mother ship docked on Thursday at the port developed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India's largest port developer and part of the Adani Group, in a public-private partnership model at a cost of around 8,867 crores. .
The mother ship transports large containers that will be transferred to other ships and later transported to other ports in the country and abroad.
The Union minister said the port will help position India at the top of the maritime map.
Sonowal said it was a big step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of creating world-class port facilities in the country.
He further said that the port project also demonstrates how a successful public-private partnership (PPP) between the Centre, the state government and the private sector "can unlock the immense potential of our maritime sector".
“This is one of the exemplary success stories of the PPP model in creating state-of-the-art port infrastructure in the country,” he stated.
Equipped with modern equipment and advanced IT and automation systems, Vizhinjam will become India's first semi-automated port and is expected to become operational in September or October 2024.
The project, which was scheduled to be commissioned in 2019, was delayed due to issues with land acquisition, various natural calamities and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sonowal said with its "location advantage" of being close to international shipping routes and its "deep draft capabilities", Vizhinjam seaport was well positioned as a preferred option for transshipment.
The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways said that in view of the port's capacity to service large container ships, he hopes to see a "positive change" in international cargo transshipment from Colombo and Singapore to Vizhinjam in the near future. .
"This port will provide a viable alternative and option to major shipping routes to mitigate disruption to the global supply chain," he said in his speech welcoming the first cargo ship to the port.
The 300-metre-long Chinese mothership 'San Fernando', which docked at the port a day ago, was formally received by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday in a ceremony in which Sonowal was also present.
The mother ship docked on Thursday at the port developed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India's largest port developer and part of the Adani Group, in a public-private partnership model at a cost of around 8,867 crores. .
The mother ship transports large containers that will be transferred to other ships and later transported to other ports in the country and abroad.
The Union minister said the port will help position India at the top of the maritime map.
Sonowal said it was a big step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of creating world-class port facilities in the country.
He further said that the port project also demonstrates how a successful public-private partnership (PPP) between the Centre, the state government and the private sector "can unlock the immense potential of our maritime sector".
“This is one of the exemplary success stories of the PPP model in creating state-of-the-art port infrastructure in the country,” he stated.
Equipped with modern equipment and advanced IT and automation systems, Vizhinjam will become India's first semi-automated port and is expected to become operational in September or October 2024.
The project, which was scheduled to be commissioned in 2019, was delayed due to issues with land acquisition, various natural calamities and the Covid-19 pandemic.
