Container terminals coming up in a big way in Indian Ocean region

Indian Ocean islands will soon be dotted with Mega container terminals taking advantage of the strategic location they enjoy in the East West Trade route the liner vessels take from Singapore to Dubai.

 After India is going with the Mega transshipment terminal on the Nicobar Islands, Colombo port is busy in expanding its East and West container terminals

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone is all  set to commission a transshipment terminal at Vizhinjam near the southern tip of India while the proposals to set up a massive terminal at Colachel and a transshipment hub at VOC Port has been dropped by the Ministry of Ports and Shipping after giving in principle nod by the Union cabinet.

The latest to join the race for a terminal is when the Indian ocean island nation of Maldives announcing its intention to develop an international container transshipment terminal to handle a capacity of 1.8 million TEUs a year in the next two years according to international media reports

Maldives is planning to develop an international container transshipment port and it is open for interested parties to build a 900 meter quay. The port will be able to handle a capacity of 1.8 million TEU’s/year in the first phase of the project with its operations to South Asia to start by 2024

Maersk Line has been serving Maldives with a direct, weekly feeder link between Colombo (Sri Lanka), and Male (Maldives) for better trade. Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) began container ferry services to atolls in an attempt to facilitate transport of goods brought to the Malé North harbour and the islands. The service will transport containers to the Hitahdhoo port in Addu City and to Kulhudhuffushi City Port, with plans to expand services to Thinadhoo once the island’s harbor is completed

Maldives has a flourishing tourism market and offers an excellent opportunity for global trade. Interestingly, about 90% of Maldives’ trade is import and spearheaded by China, India, and Sri Lanka. In spite of political turmoil, new shipping links and year on year growth of container volumes helping the trade to grow further.