On Monday, June 9, 2025, the MSC IRINA, the largest container ship in the world, made a historic premiere at Vizhinjam International Seaport. Vizhinjam’s ability to handle ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) was demonstrated when the ship, which was making its first port call in South Asia, moored there in the morning. According to port officials, the MSC IRINA, which is advertised as the largest container ship in the world by TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) capacity, would remain berthed in the port until Tuesday.

The ship’s historic arrival also represented a major turning point for the harbor, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the country on May 2. With a remarkable capacity of 24,346 TEUs, the MSC Irina is a powerful force in international transportation. At 399.9 meters long and 61.3 meters wide, the vessel is roughly four times longer than a typical football field with a FIFA designation.

Other Icon-class ships, such as the MSC Michel Cappellini and the MSC Türkiye, have lately docked at the port, solidifying its standing as a major maritime trading hub. Launched in March 2023, the MSC Irina set sail for the first time in April of the same year. The ship flying the Liberian flag has an unmatched capability for stacking containers because it is designed to stack them up to 26 levels high. Significantly, the MSC Irina outperforms OOCL Spain, its predecessor, by a margin of 150 TEUs.

According to modern environmental regulations, the ship has energy-saving systems that help cut carbon emissions by up to 4%, greatly reducing its carbon footprint while preserving operating effectiveness.

Since the port’s trial operation in July 2024 and subsequent commercial operation in December, the Vizhinjam port has allowed the berthing of 349 ships that handle 7.33 lakh cargo.