Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Welcomes First Mother Ship ‘San Fernando’ at Vizhinjam Port

Thiruvananthapuram, India – Adani Ports and SEZ announced the arrival of the first mother ship at Vizhinjam port, marking a significant milestone in India’s maritime history. The event was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, with VN Vasavan, Kerala’s Minister for Ports, and Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, in attendance.

The port, India’s first automated facility, boasts state-of-the-art infrastructure capable of handling large ships. The 300-meter-long container vessel ‘San Fernando,’ operated by Maersk, will offload about 2,000 containers and manage 400 container movements within the vessel.

Karan Adani, Managing Director of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited, highlighted the port’s advanced technology, stating, “San Fernando is a symbol of a new, glorious achievement in Indian maritime history.” He emphasized that Vizhinjam’s technology surpasses other Indian ports, including Mundra Port.

Chief Minister Vijayan noted that Vizhinjam places India on the global map, capable of berthing the world’s largest ships. The port will soon begin full operations after a trial run.

Currently, 25% of India’s container traffic is transshipped en route to its destination, with 75% handled by ports outside India. Vizhinjam aims to change this by facilitating transshipment traffic within India and playing a crucial role in international trade routes.

Vizhinjam International Seaport, promoted by the Government of Kerala in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, is the largest private sector investment in Kerala. Adani Ports and Logistics formed Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL) to develop the project, overcoming multiple challenges to reach advanced stages of completion.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) operates 15 ports across India and is developing a transshipment port in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and operates ports in Israel and Tanzania.