As there are hardly a few weeks left before the local body poll code kicks in, the State government is getting ready to start the second phase of development of the Vizhinjam International Seaport – expected to begin in the first week of November. The inaugural ceremony is tentatively scheduled on November 5. The second phase will see an investment of ₹9,700 crore by the port concessionaire Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt. Ltd. (AVPPL).

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has already granted environmental clearance to the development, which began commercial operations on December 3, 2024. As per the master plan prepared for the development of the deepwater multipurpose seaport, the breakwater, which currently has a length of around 3,000 m, will be extended to a total of 3,900 m by 2028. The container terminal berth in the port will be extended by 1.2 km from the existing 800 m.

Further, the master plan includes provisions to develop the container storage yard and related infrastructure behind the 1,200-m extended berth (within port limits). The multipurpose berths to be constructed at a length of 1,220 m will allow the port to handle different types of cargo and vessels. The 250 m length liquid berth close to the breakwater and the development of a liquid cargo storage facility (product will be stored in tanks within the port area) will help the port handle bulk liquid and gaseous cargo. Reclamation of 77.17 ha is envisaged as part of the development, and dredging of ~7.20 Mm³ will be carried out.

According to sources, although an investment of ₹9,700 crore is estimated for the development of the next phase, an increase of more than 50 percent of the estimated cost is expected. If the first phase of development was jointly carried out by the State government and the AVPPL, the development of subsequent phases is the responsibility of the AVPPL alone. The port so far has facilitated the berthing of 525 ships, including over 30 ultra-large ships, and handled 11.6 lakh of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo. Once completed, the port’s annual handling capacity will be increased to over 4 million TEUs, making Vizhinjam the largest container-handling port in southern India.