THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vizhinjam International Seaport received MSC Claude Girardet, the biggest vessel to berth at an Indian port, on Friday. It is also the largest ship ever to arrive in South Asia. The vessel, which came from Malaysia, has a container capacity of 24,116 TEUs (twenty-four equivalent units). It is 399m long, 61.5m wide and has a depth of 16.7m below the waterline. It is sailing under the flag of Liberia.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the anchoring of the ultra large vessel as a step towards the state’s development. He said the state will witness a major development boost as cargo traffic though Vizhinjam Port, located near the international shipping line, becomes active.
After container handling, the ship left for Portugal in the night. Previously, MSC Anna with a capacity of 19,462 TEUs was the biggest ship to dock in India. It docked at Adani Ports, Mundra in May.