Paradip port records all-time high traffic in FY'10

"The 57.01 million-tonnes traffic handled during 2009-10, was a record surpassing previous year's 46.41 million tonnes and registering a growth of 22.84 per cent," chairman of Paradip Port Trust (PPT) K Raghuramaiah told reporters here.

There was also substantial improvement in financial performance in 2009-10 as the port made an operating income of Rs 786.41 crore against Rs 696.71 crore in FY'09, he said.
Similarly, the operating expenditure of the port during FY'10 comes to Rs 409.17 crore as against Rs 358.17 crore, Raghuramaiah said.

Paradip Port achieved the highest growth rate among all the major ports in handling of traffic during the 2009-10 fiscal, he said adding that its position improved to fifth from earlier eighth among major ports.

Encouraged by traffic boom despite recession, the port plans to raise its capacity to 135 MTPA by 2012 from 76 MTPA at present by adding 59 MTPA, he said.On future plans, Raghuramaiah said the port has initiated a project for 'Construction of Western Dock System' for building six berths at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore for which preparation of a detailed project report and detailed engineering work are under progress.

It has also initiated a project for construction of an island breakwater with berthing facilities on the lee side of the breakwater at an estimated cost of Rs 800 crore, he added.

A proposal has been initiated to construct an oil berth with a capacity of 10 MTPA at an estimated cost of Rs 172.97 crore, for which detailed engineering work is under progress, he said, adding the project is likely to be completed by March 2012.
In association with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) second single point mooring would also be set up at Paradip for handling of their very large crude carriers by March 2012. It would add about 15 million tonnes of cargo to the present volume, the PPT Chairman said.

Similarly, construction of a multipurpose berth on BOT basis through public private partnership mode is underway for handling containers and other clean cargoes and the facility would add about five MTPA to the present capacity of the port, he said.
Regarding ongoing projects, he said Paradip port is undertaking the work of deepening of channel at a cost of Rs 253.36 crore, which is likely to be completed by June this year. It would enable the port to handle capesize vessels.

In order to increase the output at the mechanised iron ore handling plant, two reclaimers of 3,000 TPH capacities is being commissioned, Raghuramaiah said.The port has also contributed Rs 40 crore for four-laning of the road from Chandikhole to Paradip (NH-5 A), which was completed in December 2009, he said.Responding to a query, Raghuramaiah said legal action was proposed to recover the money spent in evacuating fuel oil from Mongolian vessel 'Black Rose' that had sunk in the port's anchorage area last year.
In order to ensure protection of environment, the fuel oil had to be removed within a reasonable time period, he said.