Cavotec secures EUR 5 million order for India's first automated mooring system at JNPT

Cavotec has signed a contract valued at EUR 5 million with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority to supply India's first automated vacuum mooring system. Scheduled for delivery by Q4 2027 to the Gateway Terminals India berth, the technology aims to enhance operational efficiency, worker safety, and vessel turnaround times.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority has awarded a landmark contract to Cavotec Group AB for the supply and installation of a MoorMaster NxG automated vacuum mooring system at Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port. Valued at approximately EUR 5 million, the contract marks the first deployment of automated mooring technology within the Indian maritime infrastructure sector. Delivery of the specialized equipment is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027 to the Gateway Terminals India facility, which is operated by APM Terminals. Cavotec Group AB is a Global engineering firm specializing in automated connection and electrification systems for ports and industrial sectors, while Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority oversees one of India's primary gateway container ports handling significant volumes of international maritime trade.

The installation of automated vacuum mooring units is designed to replace traditional line-handling techniques, allowing large commercial vessels to dock and undock in a fraction of the time typically required. By replacing manual rope handling with automated vacuum pads, the initiative mitigates significant occupational hazards for dockworkers while providing active surge control and micro-shifting capabilities to maintain vessel stability alongside the berth. These technical enhancements directly address the port authority's primary operational objective of decreasing vessel turnaround times, enabling higher terminal throughput without expanding physical quay footprints.

This pioneering order reflects broader national trends toward port modernization and automation across India's maritime supply chain framework. Major infrastructure hubs are increasingly prioritizing technology integration to increase berth productivity, reduce idle vessel emissions, and accommodate larger ocean liners within existing harbor capacities. The successful implementation of automated mooring at one of India's principal container hubs establishes a critical technical benchmark that could accelerate similar automation projects across adjacent terminals and regional ports seeking to optimize maritime logistics operations.

For Cavotec, the contract significantly reinforces its commercial footprint in the rapidly expanding Indian port technology market, serving as an important reference project for its flagship MoorMaster product line. The strategic shift toward automated berthing solutions offers long-term financial and operational advantages for terminal operators and shipping lines through improved quay utilization, reduced labor risk, and enhanced predictability in vessel schedules. Consequently, investors and maritime stakeholders view the deployment as a key milestone in transforming local port infrastructure into smart, sustainable, and highly efficient transport nodes capable of supporting growing global trade volumes.