Visakha Container Terminal Private Limited, a private container terminal operator jointly promoted by Dubai Port World and United Liner Agencies of India, is targeting to handle about 200,000 TEUs (twentyfoot equivalent units) during this fiscal.
“In the just ended financial year, we handled about 145,000 TEUs as against 98,000 TEUs in the preceding year, a growth of 48 per cent,” Sriram Ravi Chander, chief executive officer, VCTPL, told Business Standard.
The 48 per cent growth in 2010-11 can be attributed to four reasons — organic growth of industry in the local hinterland covering states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Chhattisgarh; induction of new mainline services; Vizag emerging as a transshipment hub for Kolkata and finally, inducement of Inland Container Depot traffic between Vizag and Nagpur, he said.
Apart from existing cargos this year, VCTPL witnessed movement of new commodities like poly products, butter, coffee, cotton, tobacco and increased movement of sugar, refractory, heavy minerals, waste paper and metal scrap.
Establishment of ICD movements to Nagpur and movement of coffee, tobacco and cotton from Guntur also helped, he pointed out.
“The hinterland of Vizag is one of the fastest growing regions. Heavy investments have gone into various sectors including pharmaceuticals, aluminum, petroleum, chemicals, petrochemicals, ferro alloys, refractory and paper. In the coming years, the hinterland of Vizag will have an additional 0.6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) ferro alloy production, 25 mtpa of steel, 3 mtpa aluminium, around 20 more pharmaceutical units, numerous power projects, more apparel manufacturing units. Hence, in 2011-12 we expect to handle 200,000 TEUs,” he said.
The terminal also anticipates enhanced transshipment activity by adding Chittagong in Bangladesh and Yangon (Myanmar) to the loop and inducement of ICD movement from Delhi and Hyderabad.
In view of this, it has placed orders for new gantry cranes which would begin operations by December. VCTPL is spending Rs 110 crore on these cranes, he said.
