Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone, an Adani Group firm, handled 50 million tonnes of cargo in 2010-11, making it the seventh largest port in the country in terms of annual cargo handling volume.

?The cargo volumes at Mundra Port have leaped from 11.7 million tonnes in 2005-06 to over 50 mt in 2010-11, a compounded annual rate of growth of 34 per cent. In the same period, the maritime trade of the country grew at a rate close to 8.5 per cent,? the company said in a statement today.

The company expects to handle 80 mt of cargo in the current financial year and aims to cross 100-mt mark by 2012-13, it added.

?This will make Mundra the preferred port of call by 2012-13, handling highest cargo volumes among Indian ports.? the statement further said, adding that ?it has emerged as the seventh largest port in terms of annual cargo handling volumes for FY 2010-11.??

The privately owned port has 13 berths for handling bulk, liquid and container cargo, two single point mooring units, a RO-RO terminal for automobile handling and a fully automated 60-mt dedicated coal terminal with two berths.

The company is also developing six more berths for handling bulk/container cargo and is enhancing the capacity of coal terminal to 100 mt, the statement said.

The Mundra Port handles a large variety of cargo including crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals, edible oil, coal, fertilisers, steel, containers and automobiles.

?With Mundra Port?s world-class infrastructure, best operational practices, proactive and customer-friendly management, we are aiming at handling 200 mt of cargo volumes by 2020 at the ports managed by the company,? the Adani Group Chairman, Mr Gautam Adani, said.

The company currently operates ports at Mundra and Dahej and is developing a port at Hazira and coal terminals at Marmugao and Vishakhapatnam. All the three plant terminals are expected to be operational by 2013.

Meanwhile, the company scrips were trading up by 4.4 per cent at Rs 146.95 in the afternoon trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

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