Milestone Achievement
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) has successfully berthed India’s first fully laden Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) at its Mundra Port. This breakthrough marks a significant enhancement to the nation's energy import infrastructure.
The vessel, Mt New Renown, arrived carrying approximately 3.3 lakh cubic metres of crude oil. Its direct docking at Mundra’s dedicated VLCC berth bypasses the typical need for offshore mooring or ship-to-ship transfers, a process usually required for vessels of such magnitude. APSEZ claims this capability now places Mundra in an exclusive global group of ports.
Advanced Infrastructure
The purpose-built VLCC jetty measures 400 metres in length with a berth pocket depth of 25 metres. It is engineered to accommodate vessels up to 333 metres long, with a displacement of 3,60,000 tonnes and a draft of 21.6 metres. The facility is equipped with advanced cargo handling systems, including two 20-inch crude oil loading arms capable of discharging up to 12,000 cubic metres per hour.
Enhanced Logistics
This direct berthing capability is directly linked to the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery in Barmer via a 489-kilometre crude oil pipeline. The integrated system enables seamless transport of crude oil from the port to the refinery without intermediate handling. This direct linkage is projected to significantly boost logistics efficiency and reduce turnaround times for large crude oil imports.
Mundra Port, APSEZ's largest facility and India's biggest commercial port by volume, handled over 200 million metric tonnes of cargo in fiscal year 2024–25, underscoring its critical role in national trade.