VCTPL sees 125% growth in H1 container handling

Visakha Container Terminal Private Limited (VCTPL), which is the built-operate-own and transfer (BOOT) operator of the container terminal in the Visakhapatnam port, has registered a 125 per cent growth in container handling during the first six months of the current fiscal, as compared to last year's corresponding period.

VCTPL has handled 18,147 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first half of the current fiscal, as compared to 8,044 TEUs in the last fiscal's corresponding period, thus posting a growth of 125 per cent. VCTPL is expecting to handle between 45,000 and 50,000 TEUs by the end of this fiscal.

VCTPL, a joint venture between Dubai Ports International and United Liner Agencies of India, has so far invested around Rs 100 crore to set up modern container handling facilities at its container berth. It started its operations from July 2003.

"After VCTPL commenced its operations at the container terminal, we have been doing significant marketing across the country to attract new container cargo to the Vizag port. Due to this, some new cargos like maize, tobacco, ferro chrome, soya beans, steel, wood pulp and imported project cargo have been coming to the Vizag port. Since container main liners have also started coming to this port, some feeder vessels from Haldia and Kolkata ports have been berthing at the port to feed the main liner vessels. Due to these reasons, the container cargo handling has increased significantly," D Sugantharaj, chief operating officer of VCTPL, told Business Standard.

"So far, we have invested about Rs 100 crore to develop the container terminal. We are going to invest another Rs 80-100 crore on this terminal after achieving the one-lakh TEUs handling at the Vizag port," Sugantharaj said.

"For the first time, main line vessels operated by INDFEX 2 (India Far East Express Service), a consortium of four shipping lines -- Shipping Corporation of India, Pacific International Line, K-Line and Dongmana -- are calling at the Vizag port every week. Trains from Inland Container Depot (ICD), Tuglakabad, are also bringing containers to the terminal. These trains also pick up containers from ICD Malanpur (Gwalior) and carry back containers meant for ICD Tuglakabad and ICD Nagpur. All these factors are helping VCTPL in getting new and additional container cargo from faraway places," an official at the Vizag port said.