THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vizhinjam International Port will receive its first cargo ship, a vessel from China, on the evening of October 4, Ports Minister Ahamed Devarkovil said on Monday.
The ship has set sail from the Shanghai port in China with one quay crane and two-yard cranes required for the Vizhinjam wharf. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the function to mark the ship’s arrival, and Union Ports Minister Sarbanand Sonowal will officially receive the vessel, Ahamed said.
Three more ships, one each on October 28, November 11 and November 14, will dock at the port. Ahamed said the Rs 7,700-crore port project is expected to be commissioned by May 2024.
“The sub-components of the project have been finished in a time-bound manner and 75 per cent of the work on the breakwater is over. Work on the 400m berth (for phase 1) is in the final stage,” the minister said, adding that Adani Ports Pvt Ltd has decided to complete the work by December. The port will have the world’s largest and most advanced cranes, he said.
Vizhinjam name, and logo launch on September 20
The Vizhinjam port project was scheduled to be commissioned in 2019 but got delayed due to several issues related to land acquisition. Vizhinjam had also witnessed violent protests from fishermen in the area who were against the project, alleging that it could adversely affect their livelihood.
The chief minister will launch the official name and logo of the port at a function at Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram on September 20 in the presence of Ministers K N Balagopal (Finance) and P Rajeeve (Industries). The government is also planning to organise a shipping conclave with major shipping companies in the last week of October.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Maritime Board and Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd will participate in the International Marine Exhibition to be organised in the second week of October in Mumbai. A Kerala pavilion will be set up at the event to showcase Kerala’s marine investment potential and Vizhinjam port to the global investment community.