| Kattupalli Port | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Kattupalli Port | |
| Location | |
| Country |  India |
| Coordinates | 13°18′44″N80°20′44″E / 13.312114°N 80.345598°E /13.312114; 80.345598 |
| Details | |
| Opened | January 2012 |
| Operated by | Adani Group |
| Owned by | Adani Ports & SEZ |
| Type ofharbour | Natural harbor (sea port) |
| No. ofberths | 4 |
| Depth | 14 metres (46 ft) |
TheKattupalli Shipyard, officiallyAdani Katupalli Port Private Limited, is a largeshipyard project atKattupalli village nearEnnore inChennai district, built byL&T Shipbuilding Ltd. It is being set up jointly byTIDCO andLarsen & Toubro (L&T) in two phases. L&T shipbuilding Kattupalli is a minor port.Adani ports and special economic zone (APSEZ) acquired Kattupalli Port from L&T in June 2018 and renamed it as Adani Katupalli Port Private Limited (AKPPL).
In terms of cargo generation, the terminal is located close to the majority ofContainer Freight stations in Chennai. The Kattupalli development also includes a shipyard being developed by L&T, a private sector–backed development.
It is planning to compete with Japanese and Korean shipyards in building "specialised ships," such as large-sizewarships,car carriers,submarines, naval offshorepatrol vessels, fast patrol vessels and corvettes. AfterColombo andSingapore, Kattupalli will be the third major international destination for ship repairs in the region.[1]
The shipyard-cum-minor port complex was officially inaugurated on 30 January 2013.[2]
The first development phase, which aims to be operational by January 2012,[needs update] will have a 12lakh (1.2 million)TEU capacity through two 350-metre-long L-shaped berths and a total terminal area of around 20 hectares. The berths would be operated byPhilippines-basedInternational Container Terminal Services Inc for 28 years.[3] The terminal has an option to rise to 18 lakh (1.8 million) TEU capacity during the second phase of development.[4]
Mobile equipment will include tworeach stackers and one empty handler.
The yard will offer 5,000 ground slots and a CFS is also planned as part of the service package. Access to the terminal on the marine side is via a 3.5 km-long channel and port basin offering a draft of 14 m—the draft capability is such that it provides for projected increases in Southern Asian container trade. It also provides for the future possibility of mainlineAsia–Europe vessels making a stop inSouthern India, which has been mooted as a distinct possibility by certain analysts. Kattupalli's North and Southbreakwaters, which together total 3.35 km, ensure a safe harbour and uninterrupted terminal operations.
The yard has 3 rail-mounted quayside cranes (RMQCs) (arrived at the port in December 2011 from China), 15 rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGCs), two reach stackers and 420 reefer plug points. On 12 April 2012, the yard received Zhen Hua 20, a heavy lift vessel, with three more RMQCs to be installed at the second berth.[3]
When fully completed, it will be the largest shipyard in Asia.[5] Once operational, the shipyard will become a nucleus for heavy engineering industry (fabrications and components manufacturing).[6] This would make Chennai a hub for engineering components. The project is being implemented in two phases with a total investment of about ₹4,675crore. ₹3,050 crore will be invested in Phase I (2009–11), and the rest in Phase II (2012–15). MoU has been signed and the project has commenced.[7]
As of October 2019, a 6.08 km rail corridor to ferry cargo to the port is being built at a cost of ₹51.8 crore on a 31.175-hectare (77.04-acre) area.[8]
The Kattupalli yard is mainly built for making warships and to augment the existing capacity atHazira inGujarat for submarines. A draft of up to 14 m and a waterfront exceeding 2.2 km makes the facility well suited to building large defence ships.[9]
The Integrated shipyard complex will have the following facilities:
At the yard, encompassing 1,250 acres,[10] L&T has also commissioned facilities to buildoffshore platforms,drilling rigs and FPSOs (floating production, storage and offloading unit), besides a minor port which can handle container ships. An 18,000-tonneshiplift is being installed at the yard.
In the first phase, around ₹4,000 crore is being invested in the facility that will start rolling out ships by January 2012.[11][1]
7 August 2009
26 April 2010
14 Sep 2010
26 Sep 2010
06 Apr 2011
08 Jun 2011
25 Jul 2011
Jun 2015
Construction of New Build Projects: In 2015 L&T has bagged order for construction of 7 Offshore patrol vessels for theIndian Coast Guard and Floating Dock for theIndian Navy which will be designed in house at L&T Ship Design Centre. At commercial new build front L&T Shipbuilding is currently executing eight offshore vessels at Kattupalli Yard for Overseas Client. Presently, L&T is executing a project for construction of 54Interceptor Boats for the Indian Coast Guard. Designed in-house with waterjet propulsion and aluminium hull, these boats have a speed of over 45knots and excellent manoeuvrability.[18][19]
Design Centre: L&T Shipbuilding has a design centre with capability of in-house designing of Naval ships and submarines and has already developed basic designs of Interceptor Boats,Offshore Patrol Vessels,Corvettes etc. which can be adapted to customer requirements. 3D Modelling integrated with Product Lifecycle Management and other Design and Analysis software suites enable accuracy, revision control and output aligned with yard infrastructure.[18][20]
Ship Repairs, Refits & Conversions: L&T Shipbuilding is geared to handle ship repairs, refits and conversions catering to commercial and Defence ships/submarines and offshore platforms. A shiplift of 200m x 46m with lifting capacity of 21,050 tonnes (future extension planned for larger vessels) along with transfer system and dry berths enables quick turnaround of ships. There are 4 wet berths of 260 / 200 metres length. Many refit projects have been successfully completed.[21][22]
In 2009, the facility also received Environment Clearance andCoastal Regulation Zone clearance for the annual production of 50,000 tonnes per annum for modular fabrication facility (MFF) as well as approval for 25 ship buildings and 60 ship repairs. However, as reported in July 2025, the existing infrastructure supports an annual capacity of 30 ship repairs and 15 ship building. Hence, L&T is expected to invest an additional₹1,000 crore (US$120 million) into the shipyard. The new infrastructure will allow the shipyard to operate at full capacity as cleared in 2009. This development will be undertaken on a land of 892.11 acres (3.6102 km2) owned by L&T. The project involves establishing additional shops, fabrication units, paint shops, assembly shops, blasting shops, residential accommodation buildings, office buildings, warehouse sheds, skill development centre, landscaping/greenbelt development. The development work is expected to begin in October 2025 and will take three years to complete.[23]
In December 2015,L&T was chosen by the Russian shipbuilderSevmash to be its Indian partner in the second refit project of theSindhughosh-class submarines. While the first of the four Kilo class subs will go to the Russian Zvezdochka shipyard for inspection and refit, the remaining three are to be modernized at the Kattupalli shipyard. The first of the submarines to be modernized at private yard, a first for India, will go in by 2017.[25][26][27] In an official letter to the Indian Government, the Russian shipyard has put forward its willingness to work alongside L&T. L&T will play a major role in a planned₹5,000crore (equivalent to₹75 billion or US$890 million in 2023) Kilo-class submarine modernisation plan of the Indian Navy. The shipyard was nominated after it was the only found to be the technically capable facility after a survey of the equipment profile and finances ofCochin Shipyard andPipavav Shipyard.[28][29]
On 7 August 2022, theUnited States Navy sent its first ship,USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE-10), to Kattupalli Shipyard of Larsen & Toubro for an 11-day repair and allied services work.[30][31] The repair work was completed on 17 August 2022. This was a result of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in April 2022 where US was represented bySecretary of DefenseLloyd Austin andU.S. Secretary of StateAntony Blinken.[32]
The second ship,USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE-9), underwent repair and upgrades from 11 to 27 March 2023. After the refit, the ship returned to theIndo-Pacific theatre for operations.[33][34][35]
On 9 July 2023, the third ship,USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52), reached Kattupalli Shipyard for "Voyage Repairs".[36][37][38] The time period for the repair is two weeks after which it will again return in November for a 90 day comprehensive repair.[39][40]
On 10 July 2023, the US Navy signed a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with Larsen & Toubro for US Navy'sMilitary Sealift Command Fleet Support Ships for a period of 5 years. The shipyard has qualified for such repair works by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard as well. This was recorded as a direct outcome of the 2022 U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The MSRA is a ‘legally non-binding arrangement’ between the US Navy and private shipbuilding contractors to pre-approve shipyards to repair US naval vessels, according to a report.[41][42][43] The ships operated by MSC are non-commissioned US Navy “support vessels” with civilian crews bearing the prefix “USNS”. Under the agreement, the US Naval ships ofSeventh Fleet or theIndo-Pacific Command that are in voyage are to be repaired in India.[40][44]
In March 2024, maintenance ofRFA Argus andRFA Lyme Bay was undertaken at the Kattupalli Shipyard in India. This was the first time that a Royal Navy ship has arrived in an Indian shipyard for maintenance. The ships, escorted byHMS Diamond, had transited through theRed Sea to reach India.[45][46] Later, in April 2024, LRG(S) participated inMaritime Partnership Exercise withIndian Navy'sEastern Fleet in theIndian Ocean, including stealth frigateINS Sahyadri.[47][48]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)| Adani Ports & SEZ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Adani Power | |||
| FMCG | |||
| Transmission | |||
| Gas |
| ||
| Mining | |||
| Adani Airports | |||
| Adani Green Energy | |||
| Adani Enterprises | |||
| Institutions | |||
| People |
| ||
| Organisations |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rail |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Road |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | |||||||||||||||||||||
