Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the second phase of development of the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, for which Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) is set to invest Rs 16,000 crore in order to increase the port's capacity to 5.7 million TEUs by 2029.

Karan Adani, Managing Director of Adani Ports, was also present at the event, along with Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Adani said, "With an additional investment of Rs 16,000 crores under Phase 2 and a cumulative commitment of Rs 30,000 crores, Vizhinjam will scale from a capacity of 1 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) to 5.7 million TEUs by 2029, emerging as India's largest transhipment port and a globally competitive maritime hub."

He noted that this is the largest investment committed by any business house in the state of Kerala. "In just 15 months of operations, Vizhinjam became the fastest Indian port to handle 1 million TEUs-firmly placing Kerala on the global shipping map and showcasing India's port-led development vision," the MD said.

...I must admit that we would not have been able to complete this project if not for the continuous support of the CM. He has been our biggest asset that an investor can ask for when implementing such a large green field project..." Adani said.

He also acknowledged the continuous support extended by the leader of the opposition, V. D. Satheesan and MP Shashi Tharoor for this project, calling it a strong example of cooperative federalism in action.

The phase 2 equipment development will include 21 automated ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, 45 automated Cantilever Rail-Mounted Gantry (CMRG) cranes, a rail handling yard and a state-of-the-art electrical and automation systems, sources told PTI earlier.

Adani Ports has signed an MoU with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to launch India's first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operations at Vizhinjam port. The port will serve as a dedicated LNG refuelling hub for vessels along the East-West shipping corridor.

Source: The Economic Times 

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