The Hindu Business Line : Kochi port registers 10.2% rise in throughput

Kochi April 3 The Cochin Port Trust has registered a 10.28 per cent increase in cargo handling during the year 2006-07, thereby handling an all-time high throughput of 15.31 million tonnes compared with the 13.88 million tonnes achieved during the previous fiscal.

The container traffic has also registered a growth of 11.82 per cent during the period as the port handled 2,26,808 teus compared with the 2,03,112 teus in 2005-06.

Cost Effective

The Port Chairman, Mr N. Ramachandran, said at a press meet here on Tuesday that the measures initiated to reduce handling costs had started showing results, which was evident from the increase in cargo arrivals. Besides liquid cargo, cargoes such as wheat, zinc concentrate, iron ore pellets, timber logs and coal contributed to the growth.

For the year 2007-08, the port expects traffic to increase by a modest 11 per cent, he said adding, that the port would become more cost effective for export-import cargo in the coming years.

The port also registered better productivity, with average output per ship berth day improving from 7,767 million tonnes during last year to 8,096 million tonnes in the current year.

Handling Costs

According to the Chairman, the port had initiated a series of steps in the last one year to reduce handling costs, including 50 per cent concession on all vessel-related charges in respect of mainline ships and strict action against unlawful activities going on in the port area.

The port is also exploring the possibilities of letting out its oil terminal facilities that may become redundant once the SBM project of the Kochi Refineries Ltd becomes operational, he said.

Referring to cruise vessel arrivals to the port, Mr Ramachandran said that Kochi has the distinction of hosting the largest number of cruise vessels among all Indian ports during the year as it received 38 cruise ships bringing over 16,000 passengers.

Cruise Terminal

With cruise tourism gaining currency, the port is working towards setting up a cruise terminal and is in the process of finalising an international consultant for the facility in the next three months.

The port had received 42 expressions of interest, of which some have been short listed, he added.