100 ships waiting to dock at Vizhinjam; Shipping crisis worsens amid Strait of Hormuz blockade

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East war escalating, more than a hundred ships stuck in the Middle East are seeking permission to dock at Vizhinjam. These are ships belonging to eight shipping companies that are supposed to sail to different parts of the world.

Most of them are motherships. They are unable to dock at Dubai Port due to the war. If the conflict continues, the number of ships waiting for permission to dock will increase.

Vizhinjam is 10 nautical miles from the international shipping channel. Large motherships can dock here. Ships that have been stuck at sea for weeks are seeking permission to berth and unload cargo. Mumbai is 700 nautical miles away from the shipping channel, and Mundra is 1,150 nautical miles away. It takes more than 50 hours of extra travel to reach these places instead of Vizhinjam.

Most of the ships that call at Vizhinjam are MSC ships. Ships from other companies are also now seeking a way to reach the Kerala port.

Vizhinjam is now a busy port that works 24 hours a day, with ships waiting to anchor. So far, 869 ships have called at Vizhinjam. More than 18.20 lakh containers have arrived. Vizhinjam is the fastest-growing port in the country. An average of 60 ships arrive per month. With the next phase of development in 2028, five large ships will be able to anchor simultaneously. The 800-meter berth will be increased to 2000 meters. The 3.1-kilometre pier will be increased to 4 kilometres.

With the completion of the IOC's liquid terminal, long-distance ships will be able to refuel at Vizhinjam. Vizhinjam will also provide facilities for refuelling near international shipping lanes for ships sailing from Southeast Asia to Europe.

Rs 10000 crore will be spent for the next level of development in Vizhinjam.