Alba Asia Private Limited, which has constructed a multi-purpose general cargo berth at the Visakhapatnam port, has announced the commencement of commercial operations.
CEO Gurpreet Singh Malhi told reporters on Wednesday that the West Quay 6 berth, with a capacity of 6 million tonnes, had been built for ₹225 crore to handle steel, granite blocks, petroleum coke, calcinated petroleum coke, LAM coke and other cargo.
It is equipped with two 60 MT luffing cranes. He said the first vessel at the berth arrived on Tuesday to discharge cargo – 10,000 MT of large diameter steel pipes – from the Essar group, for a Telangana-based company.
He said it was the first time that such pipes, with diameter close to 2 metres, were being handled at the port.
He said the berth length was 255 metres and the draft 15 metres, sufficient to handle fully-laden panamax vessels.
He said there were two large twin-chute hoppers with dust control systems to prevent contamination of dry bulk cargoes.
“The terminal has a 12-acre storage yard at a distance of 3 km, fitted with dust and pollution prevention systems. This facility will improve volumes at the port, which have been on the decline since two years,” he said.
Manpreet S Jolly, Regional Director in charge of the Vizag terminal, said it would enhance the efficiency of the port, which is facing stiff competition from private ports.
Tuticorin projectMalhi said the company was executing a 14-million tonne coal import project at Tuticorin port at a cost of ₹650 crore and 90 per cent of the work has been completed.
“We will get the terminal ready by the end of the year,” he added.