MSC Kayley Successfully Docks at Vizhinjam, Passing Depth Advantage Test

The Vizhinjam International Seaport made a significant milestone before its official commissioning as it successfully docked the largest container ship, MSC Kayley, on Monday. The ship, with an arriving draught of 16.5 meters, tested the port’s depth advantage effectively.

The MSC Kayley, a Liberian-flagged vessel measuring 366 meters in length and 51 meters in width, is one of the largest ships to dock in an Indian port. It arrived from Singapore and has a TEU capacity of 15,294. This draught is reported to be the second highest ever for an Indian port, only surpassed by a 17-meter draught ship at Mundra Port in Gujarat.

Sreekumar K. Nair, CEO of Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL), highlighted the achievement, noting, "It is a record indeed. As far as I know, no other ships with such a draught have docked at an Indian port."

Following MSC Kayley, the feeder vessel MSC Suape II is at the port’s outer anchorage, preparing to load containers that were recently unloaded. MSC Polo II and MSC Eva are scheduled to arrive soon.

Reports indicate that MSC might become an anchor customer for Vizhinjam Port, with ongoing discussions between Adani, the port operator, and MSC. The port is anticipated to officially commence operations next month.

ET