India's first semi-automated port, Vizhinjam, is set to be commissioned in September or October 2024, according to Ports Minister V N Vasavan. This port, featuring state-of-the-art equipment and advanced automation and IT systems, represents the largest private-sector investment in Kerala and is implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Preparations for trial operations are complete, and the port is ready for full commissioning, Vasavan announced. The state government had initially planned to commission the port in December 2024.
The first container ship, "San Fernando," part of the major shipping liner Maersk, will be received by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on July 12 at 10 am, Vasavan said during a press conference. The vessel, coming from China, will berth at the port on July 11 morning.
The ceremony will also be attended by Union Shipping and Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, along with central and state ministers, officials, and other dignitaries. Trial operations will commence on July 12 and last for two to three months. During this period, large ships will begin docking at the port, including a 400-meter-long container ship expected within weeks.
The port aims to be fully operational by September or October 2024, attracting leading global shipping companies. Large ships will unload containers at Vizhinjam, which will then be transported by smaller ships to various international and domestic destinations, enabling full-scale transshipment.
High precision and operational standards are crucial for commercial transshipment operations, with global standards maintained in key performance areas such as dwell times, vessel turnaround, berth productivity, vehicle service time, ship handling productivity, and quay crane productivity. A trial run with actual cargo-filled containers is planned for the first 600 meters of the berth, instead of using dummy containers.
The port received temporary NSPC clearance on July 2, 2024, valid until September 30, 2024. On April 2, 2024, Vizhinjam secured the International Code for the Security of Ships and Port Facilities (ISPS Code). The port was officially recognised as a customs port on June 15, 2024, under Section 7A of the Customs Act 1962. The location code (IN NYY 1) was assigned on June 21, 2024. Additionally, on June 24, 2024, Vizhinjam received approval for the landing place, demarcation of the customs area, and custodianship for handling goods as per the Customs Area Regulations, 2009.
The port is still awaiting electronic data interchange and custodian code approval, as well as clearance for Immigration Check Post (ICP).
(Source: ET)
