The Hindu Business Line : Paradip port posts 10% growth in traffic

Overcoming odds
Big jump in thermal coal imports by power plants made up for the drop in throughputs of thermal coal, imported fertiliser raw materials.

Kolkata , April 6

Paradip Port Trust (PPT) has posted an estimated 10 per cent growth in traffic throughput at 33.1 million tonnes (mt) in 2005-06 compared with 30.1 mt 2004-05.

The performance, PPT sources feel, is creditable considering various odds the port had to face during the year.

The road movement of traffic to and from the port remained suspended on several occasions, for a total period of nearly three months during the year. The volume of iron for exports transported to the port in 2005-06 dropped to 4.5 mt from 5.22 mt in 2004-05.

The monsoon months are generally bad for Paradip, every year. The year 2005-06 was no exception.

There were days during the monsoon when ship movement, rail movement, truck movement and loading/unloading operations were thrown out of gear due to inclement weather.

Thermal coal for shipment by the coastal route has traditionally been the single largest item of traffic for the port. However, over the years, the throughput has been showing a declining trend. In 2005-06, the throughput of thermal coal for coastal shipment was 9.19 mt compared with 10.54 mt in 2004-05 and 10.55 mt in the preceding year. In other words, there has been drop in throughput of more than one mt during the year under review. Another bulk item whose throughput also declined during the year was fertiliser raw materials (imports) - 2.49 mt (3.41 mt), nearly a million tonnes.

The port experienced drop in the throughputs to the tune of two mt in respect of two major bulk items, namely, thermal coal for coastal shipments and imported fertiliser raw materials and yet posted a growth in of three mt of traffic.

PPT sources would attribute the improvement to big jump in the import of thermal coal by power plants. The import during the year was close to 3.4 mt as compared with to 0.4 mt in 2004-05. Coking coal imports by steel plants also increased by an estimated 15 per cent at 3.75 mt (3.26 mt). The major importers were Steel Authority of India Ltd at 1.52 mt (1.10 mt), Tata Steel at 0.81 mt (0.97 mt) and Nilachal Ispat at 1.07 mt (0.02 mt).

Iron ore

Iron ore exports at 10.27 mt (9.05 mt) registered 13.5 per cent growth. Rungta Mines emerged as the single largest exporter of iron ore at 1.99 mt (1. 34 mt). Unfortunately, the throughput of petroleum products, despite commissioning of the oil jetty, rose only marginally did not much increase - 0.91 mt (0.84 mt).

The container traffic at 3,417 TEUs (2,281 TEUs) showed some improvement; also, the number of ships calling at the port increased to 1,330 (1,209). The rail-borne traffic increased to 22.91 mt (17.97 mt). Of this, inward traffic (for exports) was 15.76 mt (14.26 mt) and outward traffic (imports) stood at 7.15 mt (3.71 mt).