APSEZ Operationalises India’s First Port of Refuge to Enhance Maritime Safety
In March 2026, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) officially operationalised India’s first Port of Refuge (PoR) to provide structured support for vessels in distress and strengthen maritime emergency infrastructure along the country’s 11,000 kilometre (km) coastline.
About Port of Refuge (PoR):
Definition: It is defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a designated location where ships seek shelter to stabilise conditions, protect life, and minimise environmental damage.
Ports: APSEZ has designated two sites as PoR: Dighi Port on the west coast covering Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf routes, and Gopalpur Port on the east coast covering Bay of Bengal and Malacca Strait routes.
Services: Emergency Support Services (ESS) include Salvage and Wreck Removal (SWR), Firefighting Capabilities (FFC), Pollution Containment (PC), and Emergency Coordination Systems (ECS) using specialised teams and equipment.
Support: The initiative is supported by a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SMIT Salvage (Boskalis, Netherlands) under Royal Boskalis Westminster.N.V. (RBW) and Maritime Emergency Response Centre (MERC) (Gujarat), ensuring global expertise and coordinated emergency response capability.
In March 2026, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) officially operationalised India’s first Port of Refuge (PoR) to provide structured support for vessels in distress and strengthen maritime emergency infrastructure along the country’s 11,000 kilometre (km) coastline.
About Port of Refuge (PoR):
Definition: It is defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a designated location where ships seek shelter to stabilise conditions, protect life, and minimise environmental damage.
Ports: APSEZ has designated two sites as PoR: Dighi Port on the west coast covering Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf routes, and Gopalpur Port on the east coast covering Bay of Bengal and Malacca Strait routes.
Services: Emergency Support Services (ESS) include Salvage and Wreck Removal (SWR), Firefighting Capabilities (FFC), Pollution Containment (PC), and Emergency Coordination Systems (ECS) using specialised teams and equipment.
Support: The initiative is supported by a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SMIT Salvage (Boskalis, Netherlands) under Royal Boskalis Westminster.N.V. (RBW) and Maritime Emergency Response Centre (MERC) (Gujarat), ensuring global expertise and coordinated emergency response capability.
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