Vizhinjam Port (Location Code: IN VZJ) is a minor port located within the Vizhinjam harbour near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Administered by the Kerala Maritime Board, [1] it functions as a fishing harbour and facilitates coastal shipping operations. This port is distinct from the Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram (Location Code: IN TRV), which is a deep-water transshipment port.
Length of 83 metres with a draft of 4.0 metres.
The seaward wharf complies with International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Level 1 standards.
Length of 81 metres with a draft of 5.0 metres.
It is used for coastal shipping and fishing vessel operations. The wharf provides berthing facilities for small cargo vessels.
A dedicated berth for the Indian Coast Guard is under construction at Vizhinjam harbour. [2] This berth is designed to be 76.7 metres long and 8 metres wide, with an estimated cost of ₹25 crore. The construction is nearing completion and is expected to be commissioned by the end of March 2025. Once operational, it will accommodate two medium-sized vessels of approximately 30 metres in length.
Vizhinjam port [3] and Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram [4] are two separate port facilities located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Vizhinjam Seaport (UN/LOCODE: IN VZJ) [5] falls under the jurisdiction of the Kerala Maritime Board and primarily supports fishing and coastal shipping operations. It is situated within the Vizhinjam harbour and includes two berths: the sea ward and leeward wharves. [6]
Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram (UN/LOCODE: IN TRV) is managed by Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) [4] and is developed to accommodate large container vessels and facilitate global trade. This naming convention aligns with the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations (UN/LOCODE), where "TRV" represents Trivandrum and "1" signifies the port.Based on the port's official location code, it is also known as Trivandrum Port. [7] [8]
Although these ports are geographically close, they serve distinct purposes and are managed by different authorities under the Government of Kerala.