 Cranes at the Vallarpadam Terminal | |
| Other names(s) | Vallarpadam Terminal, Kochi International Port |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location |  Vallarpadam,Kochi,Kerala |
| Status | In operation |
| Coordinates | 09°58′54″N76°15′09″E / 9.98167°N 76.25250°E /9.98167; 76.25250 |
| Built by | DP World |
| Opened | 11 February 2011 |
| Technical details | |
| Cost | ₹ 3200 crore |
| No ofSuper-Post Panamax/Megamax Crane | 6 |
| No ofRubber Tyred Gantry Crane | 19 |
| Maximum Draft | 14.5 m |
| Quay Length | 600 m |
| Terminal Area | 40 ha |
| Depth Alongside | 16 m |
| Container Yard | 2500 TEU ground slots |
| Capacity | 1.4 Million TEUs[1] |
| Rail Tracks | 2 |
| Website | DP World Cochin |
TheKochi International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), locally known as theVallarpadam Terminal, is the firsttransshipment terminal in India and the first container terminal to operate in aSEZ.[2][3]The terminal is operated by theDubai Ports World (DPW), which will operate it for 30 years after which the control will come back to the Cochin Port Trust.[4]
Being constructed in three stages, the first phase of the terminal was commissioned on 11 February 2011 with a capacity to handle cargo up to one millionTEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per annum.[5] In late 2023, DP World added new cranes, e-RTGs and expanded yard space, boosting the total capacity to 1.4 million TEUs per year.[6] On completion of the third phase, the terminal will be able to handle 5.5 millionTwenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo per annum.[5]
Container Transshipment Terminal, Kochi first came to the mind of Dr. Babu Paul IAS, He proposed this project to K Karunakaran but the central government was not interested in this project. On 16 February 2005,Dubai Ports World announced that it has signed an agreement with theCochin Port Trust (CoPT) to construct, develop and operate an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) – An India Gateway Terminal – atVallarpadam.
The project was, formally, launched with the laying of the foundation stone byManmohan Singh, thePrime Minister of India.[when?] Approval for the agreement was given by the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs of theGovernment of India,Ministry of Finance and meanwhile, theDP World will manage and subsequently transfer its operations at the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal inCochin Port to the new terminal upon its completion. TheDP World has been granted a 38-year concession for the exclusive operation and management of the site.
Vallarpadam Terminal is the first in the country to operate in a special economic zone.
The total cost of the project is estimated at₹ 3200 crore.
DP World has estimated that the total initial investment required will be approximately US$20 million which includes the immediate provision of four RTGs and twoMobile Harbour Cranes to the Terminal -to improve yard handling, truck turnaround time and quayside operations.
There is a railway connection between Vallarpadam terminal andEdappally Railway station on the strategicShoranur-Ernamkulam railway line .
Strategically, located on the main east–west global shipping lines and offering draft of about 16 m,Cochin is destined to develop as the premier gateway tosouthern India,[9] as also offering an alternative toSri Lanka andSingapore for containers being transshipped for the Indian market.
The terminal is located in theVallarpadam island in Kochi.
On 11 February 2011 the terminal was inaugurated byManmohan Singh, thePrime Minister of India.[citation needed]
