: Kerala's Vizhinjam International Seaport on Thursday welcomed its inaugural mother ship "San Fernando" heralding a new era of growth and prosperity for the state. The ship from Sri Lanka arrived outside the port before 7 am, and a harbour pilot guided it into the dock amidst a grand water salute. Thousands of people gathered nearby, eager to catch a glimpse of the massive mother vessel.
A large tugboat, Ocean Prsitage and three smaller tugboats worked together to carefully bring the ship to its berth, marking a momentous occasion in the port’s history. Vizhinjam Port, India’s first deep–water container transhipment port boasts a natural draft of 18-20 meters making it an ideal hub for the world’s largest container vessels. Strategically located just 16 km from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala’s capital, the port enjoys proximity to the bustling International East-West shipping route.
Once fully operational, Vizhinjam Seaport is poised to rival top international ports like Colombo, Salalah and Singapore, vying for a significant share of global container transhipment traffic. With a capacity of 8000 to 9000 TEUs, the vessel sailed from Xiamen Port in China and was expected to offload approximately 2000 containers at Vizhinjam Port. Additionally, the port will handle 400 containers, providing international standard services, and showcasing its capabilities and efficiency.
After a special ceremony on Friday, July 12, the ship will leave for Colombo. The arrival of the conta.
