Chennai Container Terminal Ltd (CCTL) is planning to buy two quay cranes with an investment of around Rs 100 crore. CCTL is run by Dubai-based container terminal operator DP World at the Chennai Port.
Speaking to reporters, Ennarasu Karunesan, chief executive officer, CCTL, said the two cranes would join by September this year. Seven quay cranes, at present, operate at the terminal.
The terminal, which reported around 14 per cent growth in container handling in 2008 to 1.12 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), compared with the year ago period, had set a target of 1.25 million TEUs for 2009.
The number of mainline vessels too has increased to 8. These vessels connect Chennai port with major ports in the US, Europe, Mediterranean, China, Mynmar and Far East.
Karunesan said terminal’s productivity, which is measured by containers handled per hour, increased to 30 moves in 2009 from 15 while vessel’s waiting time has come down to less than 24 hours from 7 days.
The Dubai-based terminal operator has so far invested Rs 500 crore to create super structures.
