JNPT crosses 3-million TEU mark

JNPT crosses 3-million TEU mark
Our Bureau
Mumbai April 3 The country's premier container handling port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, has crossed the three million TEU mark in throughput in 2006-07.
The port handled 3.30 million TEUs during the year, as against 2.67 million TEUs in the previous fiscal, registering a 23.6 per cent growth in container traffic. The port handled a total of 44.82 million tonnes of cargo during the year, against 37.84 mt in the previous fiscal.
Mr S.S. Hussain, the new chairman of the port, told presspersons that out of the 3.30 million TEUs, the JN Port container terminal handled 1.31 million TEUs, the Nhava Sheva terminal 1.36 million TEUs and the recently commissioned Gateway Terminals 0.63 million TEUs.
On the dispatch front, Mr Hussain said the average dwell time for import containers was 0.93 day during the year, as against 1.56 days in the previous fiscal, while that for ICD containers was 4.17 days.
The operating income of the port during the year touched Rs 780.25 crore, against Rs 670.32 crore in the previous fiscal. The operating surplus stood at Rs 482.12 crore.
Replying to a question, the Chairman said the port had received security clearance for its harbour channel deepening project. The port has proposed to dredge the channel to accommodate vessels up to a draught of 14 m with 6,000 TEUs capacity using the tidal window in the first phase. The first phase of the project involves an expenditure of Rs 800 crore. "Work on the first phase is likely to start by mid-2007 with a completion schedule of 27 months," he said, adding that in the second phase, the channel will be dredged to accommodate vessels up to 15 mts draught.
Terminal project
The port is implementing the fourth container terminal project and marine chemical terminal projects. When fully developed, the capacity of the terminal will be 4.4 million TEUs and 15 mt of liquid cargo, the total expenditure being about Rs 5,000 crore. The port has already appointed a consultant for deciding the modalities for execution of the project.
Mr Hussain said the port has placed orders for acquisition of three super post panamax RMQCs (rail mounted quay cranes), which would be commissioned by June 2008. The three cranes would be positioned at the JNPCT main container berth and the two old RMQCs will be shifted to the shallow water berth.
The port has acquired radio data terminal for on-line updating of containers.