Chettinad International Coal Terminal at Ennore port, a coal terminal of the Chettinad Group started in 2006, has so far handled around 7 million tonnes of coal, coke and coking coal. It is set to achieve 5 mt for the current fiscal year.

The terminal in recent times had exceeded 46,000 tonnes of average discharge a day while handling Panamax and Supramax vessels.

The company’s facility includes a stack yard of 128 acres in Ennore. The cargo is evacuated by automatic truck-loading and wagon loading systems.

The company plans to expand the capacity to handle cape vessels within six months and the developmental plans are on final stages.

By June 2013, it is expected to have the facilities ready to handle cape-size vessels whose sea freight will be cheaper than that of smaller vessels, says a press release issued by the company.

In the year 2006, CICTL was awarded a Licence Agreement by Ennore Port Ltd to design, build, operate, market and transfer a Common User Coal Terminal at the port. The coal terminal was completed with equipment, conveyor system and evacuation system with a capacity to handle 8 mt a annum at a project outlay of about Rs 400 crore. The terminal was inaugurated in January 2011, the release says.

raja.simhan@thehindu.co.in

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