Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone: A big news is coming for India amidst the rising prices of LPG in the country and the problems in supply through the Strait of Hormuz due to the war in Iran.

In fact, veteran businessman Gautam Adani’s company – Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has received a 10-year marine service contract for Argentina’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export project. With this, the company has expanded its international marine operations in South America for the first time.

What work will the company do?

This contract has been awarded to APSEZ’s subsidiary company ‘Adani Harbor International FZCO’ to the consortium of Argentina’s ‘Meridian Group’ under the global tender process. This contract has been awarded after a global competitive tender floated by the project developer ‘Southern Energy SA (SESA). Under this agreement, the Adani-Meridian consortium will provide end-to-end marine services for the LNG carriers operating from the project site.

This includes tugboat operations, offshore logistics and supply support, and crew transfer services. Four high-specification tugboats, one anchor handling tug supply vessel and one crew boat will be used for this work.

According to the filing, the investment related to this contract is estimated to be approximately $70 million. Overall, in simple language, Adani Ports will be responsible for safely transporting large ships carrying gas to the Argentine coast. For this the company will deploy 4 special tugboats and crew boats. Work on this project is expected to start from September 2027.

Why is this contract important?

After Israel and Sri Lanka, Adani Group has entered the South American market for the first time. The company aims to become the world’s largest operator by 2030. Under this contract, Adani Ports will have a fixed income of $ 7 million every year. This news is important for India because it can lead to export of gas from Argentina to India in future. This will reduce India’s dependence on imports from Gulf countries for gas.

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India’s maritime security system has got new strength. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) has started ‘Port of Refuge’ for the first time in the country. Through this initiative, ships facing emergency at sea will now be able to get safe haven and quick help.

Till now, there was no such formal system in the Indian maritime area, under which the situation could be controlled by immediately bringing the ships in distress to a safe place. The introduction of this new facility will be of great help in the safety of ships, saving the lives of crew members and protecting the environment from harm.

What is port of refuge?
According to the guidelines of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), ‘Ports of Refuge’ are places where ships stranded in case of accident, technical failure or bad weather can stop temporarily and handle the situation. This system is already implemented in many developed maritime countries but now it has been institutionalized for the first time in India.

Two important sea bases were developed
APSEZ has developed two important marine bases under this scheme. Dighi Port located on the western coast will serve as a support for ships heading towards the Arabian Sea and Gulf countries, while Gopalpur Port on the eastern coast will play the role of a relief center for ships operating towards the Bay of Bengal and the Strait of Malacca. Modern facilities like fire fighting, pollution control, debris removal and rescue operations will be available at these ports to deal with emergency situations.

To provide global support to this initiative, APSEZ has tied up with SMIT Salvage, Royal Boskalis Westminster NV and Maritime Emergency Response Centre. This will ensure fast, coordinated and expert assistance during any maritime accident.

Company CEO Ashwani Gupta said that this initiative is an important achievement in strengthening the maritime preparedness of the country. At the same time, according to Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan, this will enable better response and coordination in emergency situations, thereby ensuring safety of life, property and environment.

This step is considered very important in view of India’s long coastline and busy sea routes. Experts say that with the introduction of ‘Port of Refuge’, India will not only come closer to international maritime standards, but will also strengthen its participation in global trade.

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India Maritime Week 2025: These days India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025 is going on in Mumbai. In this event being held from 27th to 31st October, we will also get a glimpse of the contribution of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) in India’s Blue Economy and Port Development.

Organized by the Indian Ports Association (IPA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, this event is being attended by more than one lakh delegates, 500 exhibitors and participants from more than 100 countries, who will come together to discuss the future plans and prospects of the Global Maritime Economy.

When will PM Modi attend?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this program on October 29, after which a meeting of the Global Maritime CEO Forum will be held. APSEZ is India’s largest port developer and operator. Through this program, APSEZ will highlight the work being done in the direction of technology integration, domestic manufacturing and sustainability. This will show how much Adani Ports is contributing to the government’s goal of self-reliant India and how the company is working with government initiatives like Sagarmala and Maritime Vision 2030.

During IMW 2025, APSEZ said that the company will make many deals along with strengthening the country’s port infrastructure and shipbuilding capacity. Under this, memoranda of understanding (MoU) will be signed for many different contracts.

• There will be a deal with Mumbai Port Authority (MBPA) for the supply and charter on hire of six ASTDS tugs for seven years and one green tug for 15 years under the Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP).
• There will be a charter hire agreement for two port tugs for seven years with Tuticorin-based VO Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOCPA).
• There will be a contract for a 60 TBP escort tug vessel with the Chennai Port Authority (ChPA).
• A long-term MoU will be signed with the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) for the construction of 12 tugboats in the presence of the Prime Minister.
• Additionally, APSEZ will sign an MoU for construction of an automated grab dredger, which will be a step towards increasing dredging capacity at the local level. Also included in the list are new and ongoing port projects at Wadhwan, Haldia, Dighi and Vizhinjam LNG bunkering.

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