Kozhikode: The Department of Ports has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the development, operation and maintenance of the proposed Malabar International Port at Azhikkal in Kannur district, which is expected to significantly improve logistics efficiency for northern Kerala and adjoining regions of Karnataka. Malabar port will be the third international port in Kerala after Vizhinjam and Kochi.

The EoI has been issued by Malabar International Port and SEZ Ltd (MIPS) on behalf of the Department of Ports, inviting organisations or consortia to develop the port and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Azhikkal under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

The proposed port site is located on the open coast on the southern side of the Valapattanam River and situated about seven kilometres from National Highway-66 and the Valapattanam railway station.

The port is proposed to be developed in three phases, with the total estimated project cost pegged at ₹5,047 crore. Phase I alone is estimated to cost ₹3,742 crore, which includes ₹1,428 crore for the construction of breakwaters and ₹190 crore for land acquisition to ensure road connectivity to NH-66.

According to traffic projections in the Detailed Project Report (DPR), the primary feeder markets for the proposed port include the districts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Kozhikode, along with parts of Malappuram district. The DPR also highlights the port’s strategic advantage due to its proximity to major cargo-generating centres in South India, such as Bengaluru, Hosur, Mysuru and Nanjangud.

The port is estimated to handle around 1.7 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo in its first year of operations, with volumes expected to rise to about 12.24 MMT by the 17th year. Container cargo is projected to account for a dominant share of the overall traffic.

As per the market assessment study conducted during the preparation of the DPR, key cargo categories are expected to include imported bulk commodities such as edible oil and fertilisers, as well as coastal cargoes like bulk cement, iron and steel.

Along with the EoI for port development, the Department of Ports has also invited separate EoIs for the construction and maintenance of breakwaters. The project proposes two breakwaters—one on the northern side with a length of about 2.156 km and another on the southern side measuring approximately 1.4 km.

The proposed port, to be developed over an area of about 200 hectares, will have an existing backup area of around 60 hectares comprising government land. The design of the breakwater foundation has been reviewed by IIT Madras for technical validation.

According to the EoI document, MIPS proposes to develop comprehensive port facilities, including berths, cargo handling equipment, storage areas, port crafts, navigational aids, and vessel traffic management systems.

Luxman Radhakrishnan, Managing Director of MIPS, said that the government aims to complete the construction of the project within four years. “Malabar Port would be the third International Port in the state after Cochin Port and Vizhinjam Port. The DPR has already been approved by the government. After the global tender process, which will be completed within a year, we will finalise the financial arrangements for the project. Construction work can begin thereafter,” he told Onmanorama.

According to Radhakrishnan, the Malabar Port will operate more like the Cochin Port than the Vizhinjam Port in Thiruvananthapuram. As the Malabar Port is located between the Mangalore and Cochin ports, the nature of cargo movement will be different from that of the Vizhinjam International Port, he added.