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The International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam has posted a 14 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2019, surpassing the average industry rate of 9 per cent.
South India’s premium transshipment terminal operated by DP World recorded the highest quarterly throughput of over 1.6 lakh TEU and recorded its all-time highest monthly throughput of more than 56,000 TEU in March 2019. The terminal also witnessed a 48 per cent improvement in transshipment volumes during the first three months of 2019. This is due to the excellent feeder connectivity the terminal boasts to the major as well as minor ports and inland waterway ports in India.
Praveen Joseph, CEO, DP World, Kochi, attributed this growth rate to the terminal’s persistent efforts in enabling smarter trade solutions, delivering world-class productivity. It is also a testament to the company's increasing prominence as South India’s leading gateway. The terminal’s in house developed TOS – Zodiac and RFID enabled gate movements facilitate optimization of time and seamless movement of cargo.
Furthermore, with the commencement of the barge service through National Waterway 3 and 9 connecting to Kottayam and a feeder service to minor ports of Beypore and Azhikal in Kerala, the terminal is now equipped to provide an alternate mode of transport for containers in Kerala, he said. “Our focus continues to be on strengthening India’s connectivity to other international ports and developing ICTT as an international transshipment hub”, he added.
The terminal operator has recently announced the launch of a new mainline service – China-India Express 2 of Wan Hai Shipping Line. The service will provide direct connectivity from Kochi to Far East locations. With this major development, ICTT reinforces its position as an international transshipment hub.
Internationally, the terminal has regular mainline services connecting Australia, the Far East, South-East Asia, Middle East, Europe and the Mediterranean. The terminal also expects to further boost its international main line connectivity in the coming months, which will help customers to reduce delivery times and costs to serve international markets, he added.
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