Gujarat Chemical Port Terminal Company Ltd (GCPTCL) will receive its first edible oil cargo by the end-November at its jetty at Dahej, near Bharuch.
C S Patel, managing director, said, "The first vessel carrying edible oil parcel is due in November 2001 and by fast rotating cargo through tanks, the quantum could increase. The major traffic from the neighbouring ports handling edible oils will slowly but surely get diverted to GCPTCL having the state-of-the-art facilities."
Patel said that looking at the tremendous potential of the edible oil market in India and due to GCPTCL's close proximity to major edible/vegetable oils processors/consumers in hinterlands; we have decided to handle and store edible/vegetable oils in addition to handling of all grades of hazardous liquids and gaseous products.
Explaining special facilities offered to the edible oil importers, he pointed out that as edible/veg oil requires special handling facilities, GCPTCL earmarked dedicated tankages and have put-up a special heating arrangements and a dedicated pipeline with loading arm and adequate tanker loading facility for safe and contamination free handling of the product. By creating such provisions, especially to handle edible/veg. oil, we are ensured of cutting a niche in providing facilities for storage and handling of edible/veg oil in the country, Patel said.
As stated above, the proximity of GCPTCL to edible oil industries/processors in the hinterlands and looking to edible/veg oil consumption makes it as one of the best sought after ports in the country for edible oil importers.
In addition to the above, with the abundant availability of land for putting-up of edible/veg oil refineries in and around Dahej and with the port-connectivity by rail and road through GCPTCL; the importers / exporters are increasingly finding it suitable for using our facilities.
Speaking about their capacity of handling edible oils cargo, Patel said, "We are planning to handle edible/veg oil of total 1.2 to 1.5 lakh metric tonnes per annum putting-up additional tankages for handling edible/veg. oils at GCPTCL with increasing demand and is not a constraint."
On the services to edible oil importers, Patel mentioned that as a prudent service provider, GCPTCL ensures its users and extend all necessary services by providing safe, contamination free handling & storage of their products with fastest possible turnaround time. GCPTCL is also equipped to provide its importers with all necessary services for faster evacuation and transfer of the cargo from the port. the fully automated handling system, installed at GCPTCL, enables us to provide these services.
