Vizhinjam port: How India’s first transshipment hub will boost maritime trade, help counter China

India’s first transshipment hub

A transshipment port includes terminals, where cargo containers are shifted from one vessel to another before they reach their destination. The port commenced partial operations in July 2023 and has already handled around 250 container ships. Following a successful trial run, the Vizhinjam port received its commercial commissioning certificate on December 4 last year.

This month, the world's largest eco-friendly container ship, the Turkiye, operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, docked at Vizhinjam Port.

Lowering cost

Till now, India did not have a full deepwater transshipment port. As a result, nearly 75% of India’s cargo that needed transshipment was sent to foreign ports such as Colombo in Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Jebel Ali in the UAE.

Indian also spent an extra $80 to $100 per container due to this dependence on foreign ports. The Vizhinjam port is also expected to mitigate the impact of geopolitical shocks on India’s supply chains.

Capacity

Vizhinjam port's Phase 1 ensured that it can handle 1 million container equivalents (TEUs) annually. In the future, it is expected to grow and handle an additional 6.4 million containers in two more phases, according to India Today.

The Vizhinjam port also features semi-automation, remote-controlled quay cranes, and India's first AI-powered Vessel Traffic Management System.

Natural advantage

With a deep draft of 18m close to shore that requires no capital dredging, Vizhinjam can leverage its natural depth to host even ultra-large next-gen container ships requiring 20m+ drafts.

Its curvilinear coast also mitigates tsunami impact while the port’s positioning results in only mild erosion, thereby minimising maintenance costs.

Strategic location

Located just 10 nautical miles from key international shipping routes, it is ideally located for connecting East and West maritime trade.

The port will be connected via NH 66 and a new railway link. National Highway 47, which connects Salem and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, is just 2 km away from the port, and rail networks connecting Vizhinjam to other parts of the country are 12 km away.

Littoral drift

Littoral drift or longshore sediment transport is the term used for the longshore transport of sediments (mainly sand), along the upper shoreface. This makes it difficult for ports since it leads to sediment accumulation on the updrift side and erosion on the other. As a result, it requires regular desilting to maintain navigational depths and remove underwater obstacles.

Unlike most Indian ports, Vizhinjam experiences minimal sand movement along the coast (littoral drift), which reduces maintenance costs.

Impact on global maritime trade

With an aim to counter China's influence and establish India as a major maritime trade hub, the port is strategically located to serve as a gateway for global shipping routes connecting Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

This comes especially at a time when China is focusing on increasing its presence in the region in the form of naval influence through Hambantota in Sri Lanka and Maldives waters.

India is also building another deepwater port at Vadhvan in Palghar, Maharashtra. Currently, India has 13 major ports and 217 non-major ports, including private ports like Adani’s Mundra port and the Krishnapatnam port. Navi Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port and the Mundra port are the largest container ports in the country, each handling upwards of 7 million containers per annum.