Historic Moment For Kerala: Vizhinjam Seaport To Welcome First Mother Ship From China In September
In a milestone development for Kerala, India’s state government’s approval of importing cranes with other equipment for the port operation from China has given the construction of the Vizhinjam international seaport a massive boost.
A mothership loaded with cranes from China will reach in September for the inauguration eagerly anticipated at the Vizhinjam International Seaport. Sources further claim that the port is expected to use massive cranes for handling containers.
The crane installation will be executed in a few more months, although the opening is all set for September. Dr Jayakumar, CEO of Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL), has been permitted to travel to China to supervise the fabrication assignments and gauge the current state of development in preparation for the equipment delivery during the final week of May.
Thirty-two next-gen cranes, including 24 Cantilever Rail Mounted Gantry cranes and eight Super Post Panamax cranes, are being delivered at Rs 1500 crore. It will take about a month to install the cranes at the port.
The seawall that separates the port area from the sea, measuring 2960 meters, has been developed. As yet, there are 660 meters to go.
The concessionaire firm, Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd (AVPPL), had struck a deal with M/S earlier. Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Company Limited (ZPMC) for the designing, manufacturing, supplying, and installing port systems and equipment as part of the project’s phase 1 works in June 2018. The cranes alone would be costing over Rs. 1,500 crore.
Port construction is progressing quickly despite poor weather, with the unveiling plan set for September.
Adani Group is owed Rs. 22 crores of 347 crores that the government is needed to pay as its first instalment of the breakwater development.
References: India Shipping News, Times Of India