Thiruvananthapuram: The world’s largest cargo vessel, MSC IRINA, docked at Vizhinjam International Seaport on Monday, marking a historic milestone for Kerala and India’s maritime ambitions.
The ultra-large container ship, which arrived to a ceremonial water salute at 8 a.m., is the first of its scale to berth at the recently inaugurated deepwater port near Thiruvananthapuram.
Operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the vessel stretches 399.9 meters in length and 61.3 meters in width, with a draft of 16.2 meters. It has a maximum capacity of 26,346 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), making it the highest-capacity container ship currently in operation globally.
The MSC IRINA reached the outer anchorage of Vizhinjam on June 3, but docking was delayed due to the scheduled movement of six other vessels.
Kerala welcomes MSC IRINA, the largest container ship to call at any South Asian port, with immense pride. Measuring 399.9m in length and 61.3m in width, with a capacity of 24,346 TEUs, her arrival at @PortOfVizhinjam marks a historic moment.A proud milestone that underscores our… pic.twitter.com/EJbZxuqUNV
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) June 9, 2025
According to Captain Willy Antony, the ship’s Malayali commander, the crew will offload approximately 3,000 containers at the port before the vessel continues its journey toward Spain.
Launched in 2023, MSC IRINA is part of the new class of Post-Suezmax vessels, designed for long-haul cargo operations between Asia and Europe. The ship departed Singapore on May 28 and Vizhinjam is its only stop in India.
The port, developed by the Adani Group, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2 and is intended to serve as a high-capacity transshipment hub. With minimal tidal variation and a naturally deep draft, Vizhinjam is uniquely equipped to handle the world’s largest container ships.
The arrival of MSC IRINA is being viewed as a significant milestone for Indian shipping infrastructure, particularly in the effort to position Vizhinjam as a rival to established transshipment hubs such as Colombo, Dubai, and Singapore.
