HEAVY lift ship Zhen Hua 15 recently docked at India's new Vizhinjam Port from China laded with gigantic cargo handling cranes, reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.

The vessel's maiden visit was celebrated across India as it marked the inauguration of Vizhinjam Port, India's first deep-water port on the west coast near the southern tip of the subcontinent.

"A significant milestone has been completed as the heavy load cargo ship docked at Vizhinjam Seaport. Boasting container transshipment capabilities and proximity to major shipping routes, it's a game changer for Kerala's infrastructure and development," said Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, as he welcomed the vessel.

The US$925 million Vizhinjam Port construction was officially commissioned in 2016 although the idea for the project was first mooted in the early 1990s.

It is being developed under a public-private partnership, with the local state government providing funding together with the private partner Adani Ports and Logistics.

Despite being an economic power, poor ports infrastructure has been a major setback for India's development ambitions.

Of the 14 major ports serving the country, most of them lack the necessary draft needed to accommodate mega-ships. This has been a disadvantage to India's liner connectivity, as the large container vessels have been forced to skip the country for other attractive ports in Asia such as Singapore, Dubai and Colombo.

This is about to change with Vizhinjam boasting a natural channel that is as much as 24 metres deep. In addition, the port will have a capacity of one million TEU in its first phase, and an additional 6.2 million TEU to be added in the following phases, according to developer Adani Ports.

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