After stabilising transloading model to improve cargo flow into the riverine port, Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) will ramp up this activity that could result in cargo growth of 17 per cent to 54 million tonne in the current fiscal.
¨We are looking at cargo growth of 54 million tonne for 2015-16. Investment worth Rs.250 crore for transloading is being made by the PPP partner Jindal ITF to procure more transloaders, tugs and daughter vessels which will strengthen handling capacity of cargo,¨ KoPT Chairman RPS Kahlon said.
In 2014-15, KoPT handled 46.29 million tonne with 12 per cent cargo growth. KoPT aims at 5-6 million tonnes of additional cargo initially, which could go up to 25 million tonne by 2020.
KoPT allows transloading at three points – Kanika Sands, Sandheads and Sagar. The mechanism allows vessels with cargo of about four times than what a ship entering Haldia or Kolkata docks can carry.
KoPT began testing transloading operation at Sandheads in October 2013 with Jindal ITF for sending imported coal to NTPC Power Plant at Farakka.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.