Vizhinjam poised to clock half a million cargo throughput this FY, eight times higher than targeted volume

The seaport has already handled 1.08 lakh cargo units just three months into the trial run period

Well ahead of the formal commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Seaport, the coast off the Kerala capital of Thiruvananthapuram appears to have become a hive of transshipment with global maritime business shifting its focus to this southernmost port in India.

Earlier this year, Karan Adani, managing director of Adani Ports and SEZ (APSEZ), had announced that the port is expected to handle 1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per annum in Phase I of the project, while he exuded confidence of handling 1.5 million TEUs — 50 percent more — during the same period. He was addressing the trial run inauguration of the port on July 12.

With hardly one month left for the formal commissioning of the port as per the contractual agreement, the port seems to handle around eight times more volume of containers in the opening financial year.

According to sources, the port has facilitated the berthing of as many as 23 shifts in October alone, handling over fifty thousand TEUs, taking the total container cargo throughput handled so far to 1.08 lakh TEUs. With the yard becoming ready along with the second berth by December, the port would be able to handle 0.5 lakh to 1 lakh of TEUs per month from next month onwards. And the port is expected to clock an ambitious total volume of 5 lakhs TEUs this fiscal year (FY) itself against the targeted 60,000 TEUs, said the sources.

Further, the transhipment from the Vizhinjam port has reached all continents except Australia. The global reach and maritime network of the Adani Group have helped the port set a record among the Indian ports.

However, the State is lagging behind in setting up a port-driven industrial ecosystem in Kerala, and any delay in arranging the ecosystem is likely to benefit southern districts of Tamil Nadu, according to State government sources.

In a social media post on X, Ports Minister V.N. Vasavan said the exchequer has received a sum of ₹7.4 crore revenue by way of tax by facilitating the berthing of 46 ships and handling over 1 lakh TEUs during the trial run period.