Thiruvananthapuram: Vizhinjam International Seaport here will officially welcome the first cargo ship on October 15, announced Port minister Ahammed Devarkovil. 

“The cargo ship from China was scheduled to reach Vizhinjam on October 4. However, issues related to climate change affected the vessel's movement. It was expected to reach Mundra port on September 20 after covering 6,000 nautical miles through Shanghai, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Malacca and Colombo. Now it will be rerouted to Vizhinjam. 

The average speed of the ship is 11 nautical miles. But, the ship was riding at a slow speed up to 5 nautical miles due to typhoon,” he said while addressing the media here on Monday.   

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister for Ports Sarbananda Sonowal will arrive to receive the first cargo ship in Kerala's prestigious port.

A large crowd is expected to arrive at the port to witness the historic moment, he said.

Vizhinjam port, which is the first transhipment port in India, is constructed under the public-private partnership model.

The Adani Group is the private partner in the development of Vizhinjam port, which is going to be one of the largest ports in the world once commissioned. Official reports hinted that the port will be commissioned by May 2024.