Adani Ports’ Mundra becomes first in India to berth fully laden VLCC
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In a defining moment for the country’s maritime and energy infrastructure, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) has berthed India’s first fully laden Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) at Mundra Port.
The vessel, Mt New Renown, carrying crude oil with a cargo capacity of about 3.3 lakh cubic metres, docked directly at Mundra’s dedicated VLCC berth. With this, Mundra has become the first port in India capable of handling fully laden VLCCs at a direct jetty, eliminating the need for offshore mooring or ship-to-ship transfer operations typically used for vessels of this size, claimed APSEZ.
Notably, fully laden VLCCs require deep drafts, high displacement tolerance and specialised marine infrastructure, limiting the number of ports globally that can handle them. Mundra now joins a small group of international ports with this capability. The berthing was completed amid strong currents and challenging marine conditions, according to the company.
About the VLCC facility and the jetty
The VLCC facility at Mundra is connected to the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery at Barmer through a crude oil pipeline of around 489 kilometres. The direct linkage allows crude oil to be transported from the port to the refinery without intermediate handling, which is expected to improve logistics efficiency and reduce turnaround time for large crude imports, the company maintained.
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The purpose-built VLCC jetty has a length of 400 metres and a berth pocket depth of 25 metres. It can accommodate vessels up to 333 metres in length, with a maximum displacement of 3,60,000 tonnes and a draft of 21.6 metres. Cargo handling infrastructure includes two 20-inch crude oil loading arms, with a discharge capacity of up to 12,000 cubic metres per hour, along with dedicated mooring and breasting dolphins.
About the Mundra Port
Mundra is APSEZ’s largest port and India’s biggest commercial port by volumes. Located on the Gulf of Kutch, it handles a range of cargo, including containers, dry bulk, liquids, automobiles and crude oil. In 2024–25, Mundra became the first Indian port to handle more than 200 million metric tonnes of cargo in a single year, according to the company.