DP World, Cochin Port Authority to Expand Cargo Handling at Kochi’s ICTT

Kochi: DP World and the Cochin Port Authority (CoPA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cargo-handling infrastructure at the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) in Vallarpadam, Kochi. The agreement was formalized during India Maritime Week in Mumbai, with CoPA Chairperson B. Kashi Vishwanathan and DP World Middle East, North America & India CEO and Managing Director Rizwan Sohail Sumer exchanging the documents.

The MoU outlines collaborative efforts to expand and modernise the terminal’s facilities to meet future maritime trade demands. DP World confirmed that the upgrades will include enhancements to cargo-handling equipment, yard expansion, and improved operational capacity, enabling the terminal to accommodate larger vessels and higher throughput.

The ICTT, India’s first dedicated container transshipment terminal and it serves as a hub connecting South and Southeast Asia with Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia. The terminal currently handles direct mainline vessel calls and is operated by DP World under a concession from CoPA.

In the fiscal year 2024–25, ICTT handled 834,665 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), registering an 11% increase over the previous year, marking a record for container traffic at the facility. 

DP World has already introduced new ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, electrified rubber-tyred gantry cranes (e-RTGs), and expanded yard space, raising the terminal’s annual capacity to approximately 1.4 million TEUs. The ongoing improvements also include enhanced power infrastructure and full electrification of yard operations, aimed at increasing efficiency and sustainability.

CoPA also plans to deepen the channel leading to the terminal from the current 14.5 meters to 16 meters by July 2026. This channel deepening, along with a proposed quay extension of 350 meters, will allow the terminal to handle ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) and attract more mainline calls. The total investment for these structural upgrades is estimated at several thousand crores of rupees.

The terminal’s expansion is expected to boost Kerala’s port-led development, facilitating faster and more cost-efficient transshipment services for the southern hinterland.