THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vizhinjam International Seaport has achieved a new operational milestone after handling 17,262 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) during a single vessel call by MSC Loreto in September 2026. The volume is reported as one of the highest recorded in a single vessel call at an Indian port.
The latest achievement surpasses Vizhinjam’s previous single-vessel benchmark of 11,116 TEUs, recorded in August 2026. The increase highlights the port’s expanding ability to handle large container exchanges and high-volume transshipment operations.
MSC Loreto arrived at Vizhinjam from Singapore and is one of six Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) in the MSC Irina series. The vessel’s call involved a large-scale container exchange supported by the port’s marine, terminal, engineering and logistics operations.
The record operation was supported by Vizhinjam’s deep-draft infrastructure and automated container-handling systems. The port has an 18–20 metre natural draft, an 800-metre berth, eight quay cranes and 24 automated yard cranes designed to support high-volume container movements.
Vizhinjam, commissioned in December 2024, currently has an annual handling capacity of around 1.6 million TEUs. An ongoing expansion programme is expected to increase this capacity to 5.7 million TEUs by December 2028.
The port’s location, around 10 nautical miles from the major East-West international shipping route, gives it strategic access to shipping traffic connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf and the Far East. This positioning is central to its development as a major transshipment hub.
The port has also recorded rapid growth in vessel and cargo activity. According to port-related reports, Vizhinjam handled around 1.3 million TEUs during FY2026 and crossed the two-million-TEU mark within its first 18 months of operations.
The MSC Loreto milestone adds to Vizhinjam’s growing record of handling ultra-large container vessels and strengthens its operational profile in India’s emerging transshipment sector. The latest achievement marks another significant step in the port’s expansion as a potential international maritime gateway.
