Vizhinjam Port, worth Rs 8,800 crore, is India’s first dedicated container transshipment port.
- A transshipment port includes terminals, where cargo containers are shifted from one vessel to another before they reach their final destination.
- India is also developing a deepwater port at Vadhvan in Maharashtra’s Palghar district and another mega transshipment port is proposed on Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Vizhinjam Port
- Vizhinjam port has been developed in Landlord Model with a Public Private Partnership (PPP) component on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (“DBFOT”) basis.
- Under the landlord model, port authority retains ownership and control of port but actual cargo handling and terminal operations are typically leased to private operators.
- This is the first Greenfield port project in India, initiated by a state Government under PPP mode.
- Significance:
- Strategic Location: Close to the International East-West shipping route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf and the Far East.
- Deep Draft: Natural deep draft of nearly 20 meters requiring no capital dredging.
- Curvilinear Coast: Mitigating tsunami impact, minimising maintenance costs.
Need for Transshipment Hub
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