Almost double in October

I write this post with a bit of disappointment, as the anticipated 100% growth in October slipped through our fingers. While Trivandrum Port welcomed 12 ships in September, we had hoped to double that number to 24 in October. I kept a close eye on the 'Expected Arrivals' section of tracking sites, confident we'd hit the mark. Like watching the nail-biting final over of a cricket match, I stayed up until midnight on the 31st, scanning the nearby waters.

When XPress Kauveri became the 23rd vessel to berth in October, followed by MSC Viviana's arrival, it raised our hopes. While the motherships were slightly distant, the feeder ships like AS Alva, MSC Juanita F, and MSC Alizee III kept our hopes alive for reaching the 100% mark. It was disappointing when Viviana, despite reaching anchorage early on the 31st (0538) and having an available berth, didn't enter the port. Nevertheless, jumping from 12 ships in September to 23 in October is a remarkable leap.

While September saw 48,586 containers transshipped through 12 vessels, October promises even higher numbers, with 7 of the 23 vessels being mother vessels (MSC ships including Lisbon, Simona, Aurora, Bianca, Bianca Silvia, Kalamata VII, and Greenville). Any figures during this trial period can only be seen as progress.

As I write this, MSC Viviana has entered the port. At 399.98 meters, it's just one centimeter shorter than MSC Irena, the world's largest container ship (399.99 meters). The 399-meter Claude Girardet visited in September. This proves Trivandrum Port can handle any of the world's largest container vessels.

There's another reason for mentioning these dimensions. I came across a celebratory note from Paradip port in Odisha, proudly announcing their "milestone achievement" of handling MV MSC Alizee III (208.30 meters) as their longest container vessel. While every port has the right to celebrate its achievements, such "milestone" terminology might stem from limited awareness of current Indian port capabilities. They might be unaware that another Indian port has been handling 399.98-meter vessels since July 11. Such proclamations might inadvertently diminish our country's overall growth and aspirations. Those reading only these statistics might mistakenly view MSC Alizee's 2524 TEU capacity as a major achievement.

Even as MSC Viviana (399.98 meters) enters the port and despite handling nearly 50,000 containers in September, Trivandrum Port is still considered relatively small globally. Comparing these numbers with monthly vessel and container handling figures of Chinese and Singaporean ports reminds us that Trivandrum Port has miles to go. This awareness increases our responsibility while simultaneously raising our expectations.

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