The ship, with a capacity of 8,000 to 9,000 TEUs, belongs to leading shipping company Maersk and has arrived from Xiamen port in China. The 300-metre-long San Fernando is set to unload 1,900 containers at Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL).
This master ship will carry large containers, which will be transferred to other ships and then transported to various ports within the country and internationally.
Why is Vizhinjam Port, India's largest transshipment port, special?
Equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and advanced automation and IT systems, Vizhinjam is set to become India's first semi-automated port.
Adani Ports The Adani Group and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) is responsible for the development of the Vizhinjam International Port. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan acknowledged the Adani Group's commitment to complete the project within the stipulated time frame.
The construction of the port began in 2016 and is a public-private partnership project with a total investment of Rs 8,867 crore. The Kerala state government contributed around Rs 5,595 crore for the development of the port, while the central government provided Rs 818 crore. It is expected to be fully operational in September or October 2024.
The natural depth of the port ranges from 20 to 24 metres, and the seabed is rarely rocky, so dredging is not required to reach this depth.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday officially welcomed the Chinese cargo ship 'San Fernando' at the Vizhinjam International Sea Port, which arrived here a day earlier. Several dignitaries, including Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer, attended the event.
State Ports Minister VN Vasavan, his fellow Cabinet members KN Balagopal, V Sivankutty, K Rajan and GR Anil were also present at the function. UDF MLA M Vincent and APSEZ Managing Director Karan Adani were also among other notable attendees.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal expressed his optimism about the arrival of San Fernand at Vizhinjam International Port and said, “This is a good development in the country. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India is going to become one of the leading maritime nations in the world. For this to happen, we have to create world-class facilities here so that all types of ships can be accommodated at Indian ports. We are going to develop such ports in Maharashtra and Andaman & Nicobar Islands – for global access on the east and west coast of India.”