Vedanta’s Vizag General Cargo Berth Receives India’s Largest Bauxite Vessel at Visakhapatnam Port
3rd April 2025
- The port terminal handled the ship, MV Captain Leonidas, carrying an enormous 199,500 MT of bauxite cargo
New Delhi, April 03, 2025: Vizag General Cargo Berth Private Limited (VGCB), a port terminal located in Visakhapatnam and a unit of Vedanta Aluminium, has set a new benchmark in the maritime sector by successfully berthing MV Captain Leonidas, one of the largest bauxite vessels to ever arrive in India. The vessel carrying 199,500 metric tonnes (MT) of bauxite cargo, marked a new high for the facility’s cargo handling capacity. The successful berthing of MV Captain Leonidas will not only boost the operational capacity of the port but also contribute to Vizag’s development as a major player in the global bauxite trade.
Last year, MV Huahine successfully berthed at VGCB’s terminal, delivering a record-breaking 199,900 MT of manganese ore – the largest single-cargo shipment ever received at any Indian port. With ongoing investments in advanced technologies and streamlined operations, VGCB is poised to further elevate Vizag’s status as a leading global transshipment hub.
The arrival of MV Captain Leonidas, with a beam of 50 meters, a draft of 17.9 meters, and a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 203,095 MT, underscores VGCB’s ability to handle large vessels with swift and efficient operations. The successful offloading of this massive cargo marks a significant milestone, further strengthening the port’s reputation as a high-capacity, modern terminal aligned with global standards. This achievement highlights VGCB’s operational efficiency, positioning the port as a critical transshipment hub for bulk commodities, with faster turnaround times leading to higher productivity, reduced operational costs for shipping lines, and enhanced infrastructure capacity.
Chikkala Sateesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer and Whole Time Director of VGCB, Vedanta Limited, said, “This milestone fills us with immense pride as we continue to contribute to India’s maritime sector. Successfully offloading such a massive cargo within just five days is a significant achievement, and this underscores our commitment to operational excellence and reinforces our strategic vision of enhancing Vizag’s position as a leading global transshipment hub. We look forward to further strengthening our contribution to India’s growing maritime industry.”
VGCB, a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited has been awarded the General Cargo Berth (GCB) at the outer harbour of Visakhapatnam port for mechanization of coal handling facilities and upgradation for multi-cargo handling on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis through private sector participation for 30 years’ concession period effective October 2010. This project is one of the measures to reduce coal dust pollution in the port. The project has been awarded to a consortium led by Vedanta Limited and is managed by a Special Purpose Vehicle called Vizag General Cargo Berth Pvt. Ltd. (VGCB). The project includes extension of berth to cater 200,000 DWT capacity vessels and mechanization of complete multi-cargo handling facilities.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company’s flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
About Vedanta Aluminium Business:
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
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