Thiruvananthapuram: Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): On Monday, the MSC IRINA—the largest container ship in the world by TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) capacity—made a historic arrival at Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala. Operated by the Adani Group and inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on May 2, the port welcomed the vessel amid a carefully coordinated berthing process. At approximately 399.9 m long and 61.3 m wide—nearly four times the length of a FIFA football pitch—and boasting a capacity of 24,346 TEUs, MSC IRINA now holds the record for the world’s highest-capacity container vessel.
Designed for the Asia–Europe shipping route, this Ultra Large Container Vessel (ULCV) represents a significant enhancement in trade logistics. It can stack containers up to 26 tiers high, outpacing its predecessor—OOCL Spain—by about 150 TEUs. The ship, launched in March 2023 and flagged under Liberia, is fitted with energy-efficient technologies that reduce carbon emissions by up to 4%, underlining its environmentally responsible design.
This visit further validates Vizhinjam’s ability to handle such mega vessels, marking the first-ever call of an ULCV of this size at a South Asian port. Earlier, MSC Turkiye and MSC Michel Cappellini—both Icon class ships—had berthed here, but MSC IRINA’s arrival positions the port as a formidable deep-water transshipment hub on par with Colombo, Singapore, and Dubai.
Vizhinjam’s strategic location—just 10 nautical miles from high-traffic East West shipping lanes—and its modern facilities, including STS super post-Panamax cranes and AI-enabled Vessel Traffic Management Systems, merges cutting-edge infrastructure with maritime efficiency. MSC IRINA docked here for the first time in Indian waters, staying through Tuesday before proceeding on its global trade route.
This milestone signals a new era for Indian maritime trade: Vizhinjam is proving its capacity for sustainable, large-scale operations, reinforcing India’s position in global logistics and setting the stage for future megaship visits.
