Ahmedabad, Jan 8 (IANS) In a defining moment for India’s maritime and energy infrastructure, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) on Thursday announced the berthing of India’s first-ever fully laden Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) at its Mundra Port.

With the docking of Mt New Renown, which has a total cargo capacity of 3.3 lakh m3 (meter cube), Mundra became the first port in India to handle Fully Laden VLCC at Berth, the Adani Group company said in a statement.

The handling of Mt New Renown was executed under challenging conditions with strong currents, winds and sea states, showcasing expertise, coordination and operational excellence of the APSEZ marine team and port management.

Mundra’s VLCC jetty is seamlessly connected via a 489 km crude oil pipeline to the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery at Barmer — one of India’s most strategic refining assets.

This direct connectivity significantly enhances India’s energy security; efficiency of large-scale crude imports; supply chain resilience; and regional economic growth across Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The port facility allows berthing of a fully laden VLCC at maximum displacement, represents a transformational shift in India’s crude oil logistics, enabling safer, faster and more cost-efficient crude handling through direct jetty operations.

Direct jetty berthing of fully laden VLCCs is available at only a limited number of ports across the world due to extreme draft, displacement and infrastructure requirements of these vessels.

With this achievement, Mundra Port is now among select global crude handling hubs, strengthening India’s position in the global maritime and energy map. Mundra’s advanced vessel-handling capability eliminates dependency on offshore Single Point Moorings (SPMs) or lightering operations that were traditionally used for such large vessels, said the company.

“This development also highlights Mundra’s significance as the first port in the country and among a select few in the world to have a dedicated jetty capable of directly berthing fully laden VLCCs,” it added.

Mundra Port features 27 operational berths and two Single Point Moorings (SPMs); capability to handle dry bulk, break-bulk, project cargo, liquids, containers, automobiles, and crude oil and accommodation of Cape size vessels, VLCCs and Ultra Large Crude Carriers (ULCCs) and ultra large container vessels (ULCVs).

Mundra became the first port in India to handle over 200 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo in a single year in 2024-25, reinforcing its unmatched scale and operational leadership.

–IANS

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