Visakha Container Terminal Private Limited (VCTPL), which operates container terminal at Visakhapatnam port, is targeting a growth of 45 per cent in container handling during the current financial year as compared with last year.
Between April and December this fiscal, Visakha Container handled about 105,000 TEUs (twentyfoot equivalent units), which is over 45 per cent more compared with the corresponding period last year, Sriram Ravichandren its chief operating officer said.
In 2009-10, VCTPL handled 98,000 containers.
Ravichandren said they were bullish on the target as this year two main international container liners had started operations from Vizag port, which would see an increase in container cargo.
While Maersk Main Line Service started operations from Vizag to Tangung Pelapas - Shanghai - Yantian - Port Klang and back to Vizag, Thailand service began it service from Vizag to Thailand (Singapore - Laem Chabang of Thailand - Vizag).
Laem Chabang in Thailand is a modern container terminal and is the 20th largest container port in the world besides being the Southeast Asia’s electronic hub. The service also sees the introduction of two new players at Vizag, who are well-established in the Southeast Asian shipping fraternity — Samudera Shipping and Regional Container Lines (RCL), he said. Both had played important roles in the development of business for their respective countries — Indonesia in the case of Samudera and Thailand in the case of RCL.
VCTPL is growing at over 35 per cent year-on-year. The company is investing another Rs 100 crore in expansion, which includes development of a container yard, procurement of new equipment and deployment of new personnel.
