MSC Turkiye, world’s largest eco-friendly container ship, docks at Adani’s Vizhinjam Port

Adani’s Vizhinjam International Seaport marked a historic moment on Wednesday as it welcomed MSC Turkiye, the world’s largest and most eco-friendly container ship, setting a new benchmark for India’s maritime infrastructure. This is the first time the ultra-large vessel, operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, has docked at any Indian port.

This is the first time MSC Turkiye has called at an Indian port, sources told PTI. The ship's arrival is being seen as a major boost to Vizhinjam’s growing reputation as a global transshipment hub and underscores its capability to attract ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) from around the world.

Operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), MSC Turkiye is considered a modern engineering marvel. Measuring 399.9 metres in length, 61.3 metres in width, and 33.5 metres in depth, the vessel can carry up to 24,346 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), making it one of the largest container ships ever built.

Beyond its sheer size, MSC Turkiye stands out for its eco-friendly design, with a strong focus on fuel efficiency and reduced environmental impact. The vessel maintains a low-carbon footprint per container, significantly cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions per tonne of cargo transported, the agency reported citing sources. The ship sails under the Liberian flag and represents a key step toward sustainable global shipping.

The docking aligns with APSEZ’s broader plan to transform Vizhinjam port, which was founded in 2015 and began operations last year, into a leading global maritime hub. In September 2023, MSC Claude Girardet — another ULCV from the MSC fleet — had become the largest vessel to dock in India at that time, with a capacity of 24,116 TEUs. That benchmark has now been overtaken by MSC Turkiye.

Vizhinjam is India’s first deep-sea mega transshipment container terminal and is strategically located just 10 nautical miles (19 km) from the key east-west shipping corridor that connects Europe, the Persian Gulf, Southeast Asia, and the Far East. With a natural depth of 20 metres, the port requires minimal dredging and can accommodate the world’s largest cargo vessels, including Megamax container ships.

The port features large-scale automation for faster vessel turnaround and has state-of-the-art infrastructure to handle ULCVs. Phase 1 of the project supports a capacity of 1 million TEUs, with future phases set to add another 4.5 million TEUs.

The Adani Group has signed a 40-year agreement with the Kerala government to develop and operate the Vizhinjam port, with all construction phases expected to be completed by 2028. Once fully operational, the port is projected to handle up to 50 per cent of India’s container transshipment needs—significantly reducing dependence on foreign ports such as Dubai, Colombo, and Singapore.

(With inputs from PTI)