CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates Phase 2 of Vizhinjam port expansion, targets major capacity boost

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday inaugurated Phase 2 of the Adani Group’s Vizhinjam International Deepwater Seaport project, a ₹9,700 crore expansion aimed at positioning the port as India’s largest transhipment hub. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal was the chief guest of the event.

The inauguration ceremony, which began around 4 pm, was formally opened by Kerala General Education and Labour Minister V Sivankutty, who welcomed the dignitaries, including Sonowal. Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd Managing Director Karan Adani, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan, Finance Minister K N Balagopal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil, several MPs and MLAs, and Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V V Rajesh were also present. 

Vijayan inaugurated the event by lighting the ceremonial lamp along with Sonowal. The access road connecting the port to the national highway was also opened during the ceremony.

In his address, the Chief Minister welcomed Sonowal and expressed confidence in the Union government’s continued support for the completion and success of the Vizhinjam port project. He traced the long and turbulent history of the port, recalling the multiple hurdles the project faced over the years.

“Vizhinjam port was the dream of our land. Every time the project was discussed, several roadblocks came in the way,” Vijayan said, describing the current progress as a major milestone. State Ports Minister V N Vasavan said Phase 2 marked a critical scale-up in capacity, infrastructure and global competitiveness for Vizhinjam, which began commercial operations less than a year ago.

As part of the second phase, the port’s annual container-handling capacity will increase fivefold from one million TEUs to five million TEUs. The berth length will expand from 800 metres to 2,000 metres, while the breakwater will extend to four kilometres, enabling the port to handle multiple ultra-large container vessels simultaneously.

Once completed, Vizhinjam will emerge as India’s largest straight-berth port, capable of accommodating four mother ships at a time. The expansion will also include a railway yard, a multi-purpose berth, a liquid terminal and a tank farm. The liquid terminal is expected to give Vizhinjam a competitive edge by allowing large vessels to refuel during long international voyages — a facility currently available at only a few ports worldwide.

Given its proximity to major East–West shipping routes, the port is expected to attract increased traffic and generate significant tax revenue for Kerala.

Vasavan said the Phase 2 expansion would not require any additional land acquisition. About 55 hectares will be created through sea reclamation, while container yard capacity will increase from 35,000 units to 1,00,000 units. The total number of cranes will rise to 100, including 30 ship-to-shore cranes.

Highlighting early operational gains, the minister said Vizhinjam has already handled over 15 lakh TEUs from 710 vessels and established direct services to ports in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Although the port’s full development was originally scheduled for completion by 2045, the timeline has now been advanced to 2028 following a supplementary concessionaire agreement signed in 2023.