JNPT will double capacity to 10 mn TEUs by 2022

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, India's premier container port, will double its capacity to handle traffic of 10 million TEUs by 2022 and rank among the top 10 ports in the world, a senior official said here on Saturday.

JNPT Chairman-in-charge Neeraj Bansal said that in the last financial year, the port handled a recorded traffic of 4.50 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit, or cargo carrying capacity of ships/terminals).

"JNPT is collaborating with Port of Singapore Authority to create another world-class container terminal. The first phase of the proposed container development is in fullswing and would be operation in January next, adding another 2.40 million TEUs capacity," he said.

With another 2.40 million capacity to be ready by 2022, JNPT's capacity would double to 10 million TEUs, Bansal said in his address at the 'Maritime, Port, Logistics & Warehousing Exhibition & Conclave' organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here.

Armed with excellent cooperation among all stakeholders and the upcoming faciltiies, he said JNPT would aim to be counted among the top 10 ports globally.

The JNPT has intiated and implemented many measures to promote East of Doing Business, and paperless transactions and Director Port Delivery percentage has improved by over 30 percent.

RFID based gate systems, separate parking lots for terminals, conversion of parking lots into customs processing zones, inter-terminal trailer movement are some of the other steps implemented to increase efficiency at JNPT, he added.

Under the Ministry of Shipping's Sagarmala programme, JNPT is executing several projevts to boost the country's export-import trade, for which a multi-purpose SEZ is being developed on 277 hectares at the port, attracting interest from global investors, Bansal said.

JNPT is the only major port that is covered under the World Bank's east of doing business and its trade-friendly steps have contributed to the growth of international trade, he told the gathering.

--IANS

qn/vd