The construction of Vizhinjam international seaport has received a major shot in the arm with the State government granting permission for the import of large cranes and other equipment required for the operation of the port from China. Dr. Jayakumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL), has been granted permission to visit China to overview the fabrication works and to assess the current progress of fabrication works for the delivery of equipment during the last week of May.
As part of the phase 1 works of the project, the concessionaire company, Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd (AVPPL), had earlier entered into an agreement with M/S. Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery (Hong Kong) Company Limited (ZPMC) in June 2018 for the design, manufacturing, supply and installation of port equipment and systems. The cost of cranes alone would come to over ₹1,500 crore.
Based on the report from the AVPPL, the first lot of equipment – 12 numbers of cantilever rail-mounted gantry (CRMG) cranes and 4 numbers of Rail Mounted Quay Cranes (RMQCs) – is scheduled to be delivered at the port site in September/October. The CEO of VISL will constitute a team, comprising representatives of Port department, VISL, and other experts, to visit the crane fabrication yards in China during the last week of May.
According to Port department sources, around 60% of the works on the project has been completed. The works would be put on hold during the monsoon period.
The delivery of cranes and other port equipment is likely to be celebrated as a big event by the government as it has been maintaining that the first ship will call at the port this year itself. However, the commissioning of the multi-crore port is possible only by the fag end of 2024 considering the current pace of the work, according to sources.
