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JSW Infrastructure, which operates seaports and terminals, has commissioned its first container terminal at New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) as it ventures into the container cargo business.
The container terminal at NMPT will help diversify its product portfolio and improve the share of third-party cargo handled across its operations, the company said in a statement.
JSW Infrastructure has a 30-year concession agreement with NMPT for the container terminal on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis. The terminal has a quay length of 350 metres and a backup storage area of 15.5 hectares.
It is designed to handle mainliner cargo vessels at port of up to 9,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). The mechanised container handling facility and increase in vessel size will provide inland water-based logistics support to boost hinterland trade, the company said.
Arun Maheshwari, Joint MD and CEO of JSW Infrastructure, said, “Our new terminal at NMPT helps us diversify into container cargo business as part of our strategic roadmap to achieve 200 MTPA [million tonnes per annum] cargo capacity in India. The newly commissioned container terminal will also help us achieve an optimal cargo mix to steadily increase the share of third-party cargo business.”
“The first phase of development of this terminal has been completed, allowing us a current cargo capacity of 2.4 lakh TEUs. In order to tap the emerging business opportunity in container cargo, we are investing more Rs ₹300 crore to create close to 4 lakh TEUs capacity by FY24,” Maheshwari added.
JSW Infrastructure’s mechanised container terminal at NMPT is expected to support inland water-based infrastructure and regional development of Mangalore SEZ, besides promoting the growth of cargo business in Karnataka’s hinterland regions including Hassan, Shimoga, Mysuru, Bengaluru, and surrounding industrial hubs.
NMPT is an all-weather lagoon-type port situated at Panambur, Mangaluru, in Karnataka, and is one of the major ports of the state. Container traffic at NMPT has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 15 per cent since 2016, as compared to Indian container traffic growth of 7 per cent.
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