Kamarajar Port Limited has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the second major port in India to attain an operational draft of 18 metres, enabling the port to handle fully laden Capesize vessels of up to 170,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT).
The achievement marks a major advancement in India’s maritime infrastructure, positioning Kamarajar Port as a Cape Compliant gateway capable of accommodating larger bulk carriers and supporting the country’s growing international trade requirements.
The milestone was made possible through the successful completion of capital dredging works executed by Van Oord, which deepened both the access channel and the port basin to the required depth. The dredging project is expected to significantly enhance the port’s operational capabilities and improve vessel accessibility.
With the increased draft, Kamarajar Port will be able to receive fully laden Capesize vessels, improving cargo-handling efficiency while enabling shipping lines and cargo owners to benefit from economies of scale. The enhanced capability is also expected to reduce logistics costs, improve turnaround times, and strengthen the competitiveness of India’s import and export supply chains.
Van Oord congratulated Kamarajar Port on the achievement, stating that it is proud to have contributed to the port’s transformation into a future-ready maritime gateway through the successful execution of the dredging works.
The development is expected to reinforce Kamarajar Port’s strategic role on India’s east coast and support the country’s vision of developing world-class port infrastructure capable of handling increasing volumes of global trade.