Thiruvananthapuram: The Vizhinjam International Seaport here scripted a milestone this Christmas by welcoming its 100th commercial vessel, MSC MICHELA. The vessel, sailing under the flag of Portugal, with an impressive Length Overall (LOA) of 299.87 metres and a draft of 12.5 metres, berthed on Wednesday at 1.30 pm.

The vessel, which arrived from Mumbai, will depart for Shanghai after completing the unloading of containers, said a port official. 

On July 12, a 300-metre-long Chinese mothership 'San Fernando' docked at the port. Equipped with modern equipment, advanced automation, and IT systems, Vizhinjam is India's first semi-automated port.

The Vizhinjam International Seaport project is promoted by the Kerala Government in partnership with the Adani Group through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. An SPV, Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd (AVPPL), was formed for this purpose. AVPPL entered into a concession agreement with the Kerala Ports Department on August 17, 2015, and construction work commenced on December 5, 2015. Phase 2 and 3 of the project is expected to be completed by 2028.