The Hindu Business Line : Haldia dock throughput set to top 32 mt

HALDIA dock is all set to end the current financial year with a total traffic throughput of over 32 million tonnes (mt) compared with 28.6 mt in 2002-03.

The increase is attributed to significant jump in two items, crude (import) and iron ore (export). By March 31, the crude throughput is estimated to rise to 10.7 mt (7.7 mt) and the iron ore throughput to 3.8 mt (2.7 mt). In other words, the throughput of the two items together is expected to post a jump of more than four mt.

The coking coal traffic (import) too, it is estimated, will increase, though marginally to 4.5 mt (4.3 mt) while there will be a drop in thermal coal traffic (coastal movement) to 3.2 mt (3.37 mt). Other items likely to post a drop in throughput include petroleum products (import) - 3.9 mt (4.1 mt) and fertilisers (import) - 6.5 lakh tonnes (eight lakh tonnes). But for the non-availability of coking coal in the world market, the dock would have handled a much larger volume of the mineral.

The throughput of containers will rise by about 17,000 TEUs to 1,34,000 TEUs (1,17,000 TEUs), claim the dock sources.