Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has secured a 10-year marine services contract tied to Argentina’s first liquefied natural gas export project, the company said on Monday, extending its international marine operations to South America for the first time.
The contract was awarded to The Adani Harbour International FZCO, a step-down subsidiary of APSEZ, in consortium with Argentina-based Meridian Group. It follows a global competitive tender by Southern Energy S.A. (SESA), the project developer.
What the contract covers
Under the agreement, the Adani-Meridian consortium will provide end-to-end marine services for LNG carriers operating out of the project site. This includes tugboat operations, offshore logistics and supply support, and crew transfer services.
The deployment will be backed by four high-specification tugboats, one anchor handling tug supply vessel, and one crew boat. The investment commitment tied to the contract is estimated at $70 million, as per the filing.
The company further stated that the contract will be executed through Meridian Transportes Marítimos S.A., a joint venture between Adani Harbour International FZCO and Meridian Group, structured on a 51:49 ownership basis.
The project behind the deal
The Southern Energy FLNG project is a joint venture between Golar LNG and Pan American Energy. It is located in the San Matías Gulf, in Argentina’s Río Negro Province, and will liquefy natural gas sourced from the General San Martín pipeline aboard the floating LNG vessel Hilli Episeyo, as per the filing.
According to the company, commercial operations are expected to begin in September 2027. In its first phase, the project is designed to produce 2.45 million tonnes of LNG annually, roughly 28 cargoes per year, making it Argentina’s first operational LNG export project.
India-Argentina energy corridor
Argentina has signed agreements to supply up to 10 million tonnes of LNG annually to India starting 2027, and the Southern Energy project is positioned as a key piece of that supply chain.
Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO of APSEZ, said the contract demonstrated the company’s ability to support large-scale energy infrastructure beyond its traditional markets. “By combining these capabilities with strong local partnerships, we are helping create reliable maritime ecosystems that enable new energy trade corridors and strengthen long-term supply resilience,” he said.
APSEZ’s growing international footprint
According to the company, APSEZ currently holds marine operations across 12 countries and runs a fleet of 136 vessels serving ports, LNG terminals, refineries, national oil companies, and offshore facilities. Internationally, it operates ports in Australia, Colombo, Israel, and Tanzania.
The Argentina contract represents its first presence in Latin America, a region that is growing in strategic importance for global energy logistics as new export projects come online.
Domestically, APSEZ operates 15 ports and terminals across India’s western, southern, and eastern coastlines and handles approximately 27% of India’s total port volumes. The company is targeting one billion tonnes of cargo throughput by 2030, against a current handling capacity of 653 million tonnes per annum, the filing noted.
About Adani Ports and SEZ
Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone is India’s largest private port operator and develops, operates and maintains port infrastructure and related logistics assets. The company also manages a multi-product Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and supporting infrastructure adjacent to its flagship Mundra Port in Gujarat.
