Krishnapatnam Port's cargo handling up 25% in FY18

Krishnapatnam Port Company Limited (KPCL) aims to handle 55 million tonnes of cargo during the current fiscal as against 45 million tonnes last year, a top executive of the port said.

The port is expected to handle about seven lakh containers (TEU) in the current year, KPCL Director and CEO, Anil Yendluri said at a press conference.

It handled over 4.81 lakh containers (TUE) last year, he added.

"KPCL handled 45 Million Metric Tonne(MMT) of cargo in 2017-18 thus, achieving a 25 per cent growth over 36.10 MMT handled in the previous fiscal," he said.

The company witnessed a record 88 per cent rise in the number of containers it handled at 4,81,408 TEUs in FY 18 against 2,55,439 TEUs during the previous fiscal, Yendluri said adding total bulk cargo handled by the port stood at 37 MMT.

"This year we are looking at looking at 700,000 containers (TUE) through our container terminal and cargo we are looking 55 million tonnes," he said.

Coal, iron ore and granite dominated the cargo portfolio handled at Krishnapatnam Port.

The port has planned a total investment of USD 3 billion of which USD 1.23 billion (Rs 8,000 crore) has already been invested for development till date with second phase of expansion underway.

Once the second phase is completed the overall cargo capacity would go up to 100 million tonnes, he said.

The number of vessels visiting the Port rose by 22 per cent to 1,290 vessel calls in 2017-18 as against 1,061 vessels registered during the same period, in FY 17, he added.

Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminal, Director, Vinita Venkatesh, said the cargo spurt resulted partly from the growth of transshipment volumes at KPCT Indian container ship operators like Shreyas Shipping provided transshipment feeder services from KPCT to Kolkata, Haldia, Vizag and Paradeep.

Further to provide higher cost benefits to importers and exporters the port is offering door-to-door cargo logistics under its new service 'Ocean2Door' and the service will soon offer online cargo bookings too, she said.

Replying to a query, Yendluri said the company is planning to set up a pharma city in 1,000 acres near the port.