The Vizhinjam International Deepwater Seaport is preparing to embark on its Phase Two expansion, a move set to significantly elevate its operational capabilities. Scheduled for completion by 2028, the upgrade aims to lift the port’s annual container handling capacity to around 4.5 million TEUs. Plans include the addition of a break-bulk berth, a tanker berth, and a bunkering facility, supported by an extended 4-km-long breakwater.
Currently equipped with an 800-m container jetty capable of accommodating one mother vessel alongside two feeder vessels, the port has already processed close to one million TEUs since commencing commercial operations in late 2024. The upcoming phase will see the container berth extended to 2,000 m, enabling simultaneous handling of three mother ships and several feeder vessels.
While the first phase, costing just under Rs 9,000 crore, was jointly funded by the Kerala and Union Governments, the Rs 10,000-crore Phase Two development will be fully financed by Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd (APSEZ). The project falls under a long-term build-operate-transfer agreement, granting the concessionaire operational rights for four decades with an option for a further 20-year extension.
Complementing the port expansion, the Kerala Government is advancing industrialisation in the vicinity by preparing 200 acres for logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing clusters. These will be connected via NH-66 and a proposed Rs 360-crore cloverleaf interchange. Additionally, the Kerala Maritime Board is looking to transfer over five acres of prime land near the port for the development of container yards, freight stations, oil storage, or warehouse facilities.
These infrastructure enhancements are expected to create a robust ecosystem around Vizhinjam, aligning port capacity growth with the needs of emerging trade and industrial hubs.