Kakinada port all set to double cargo handling this fiscal

The private sector Kakinada Sea Ports Limited is all set to double its cargo handling to 10 million tonnes this fiscal, from 5.5 million tonnes handled last fiscal.

The company, which has been operating the Kakinada Deep Water Port since 1999, said that so far 8.6 million tonnes of cargo was handled this fiscal.

Speaking to Business Standard, Kakinada Sea Ports' general manager H S Tripathy said: "In the last fiscal, the port has handled a total cargo of 5.5 million tonnes, with the on-shore handling accounting for more than 2.3 million tonnes and off-shore cargo handling amounting to 3.3 million tonnes. We are strong on liquid cargo and bulk cargo and we are confident of attracting bulk imports and exports in the near future."

Phosphoric acid, ammonia, naphtha, high-speed diesel and edible oils are among the liquid cargo being handled by the port. The bulk cargo includes coal, bentonite, feldspar and iron ore.

The port also exports cement to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. So far 4.7 lakh tonnes of cement has been exported from this port. The port expects to handle two lakh tonnes of furnace oil and naphtha imports by the end of this fiscal.

In the current fiscal, the stocking of oil at the port by Reliance, Bharath Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum is expected to touch one lakh tonnes. The port exports close to five million tonnes of iron ore every year.

The port has also to its credit the handling of the world's second largest container vessel weighing four lakh tonnes of cargo. In addition to the normal cargo, the port has also handled nearly 50 supply vessels belonging to Reliance, Gujarat Petroleum, ONGC and Cainard in the current fiscal.

Tripathy said that the port would be well connected for handling all liquid and bulk cargos once the construction of the railway line connecting the port is completed by the end of this November.

"The depth of the deep water port had been increased to 12 metres. We are planning to increase its depth to 15 metres to receive large vessels like LNG carriers in the near future," he said.

Additional facilities like tankage and pipelines for handling liquid cargo have been available since the last six months. At present, the port has three berths, while the creation of four more berths are in the pipeline. It is also planning to develop the container freight station, improve mechanical handling systems and reclamation of back-up area for handling bulk cargo.

Tobacco, yarn, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, steel, paper blades and electrical equipment exporters are going to be the major players who will be bolstering the port's operations. ONGC's reported proposals to shift its operations from Visakhapatnam to Kakinada port will add to the smiles of the port managers.