New Mangalore Port traffic goes up 6.4%

The increase in the handling of crude oil and coal cargoes at New Mangalore Port has helped it to register a 6.4 per cent growth in traffic handling during the first 11 months of the current financial year.

The port handled 35.76 million tonnes of cargo from April 2013 to February 2014 as against 33.61 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Sources in the port told Business Line that the increase in the handling of cargoes such as crude oil, coal, and timber have contributed for this growth.

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), which is a major user of the port, imported 13.58 million tonnes (12.83 million tonnes) of crude oil through New Mangalore during the period. Sources said that the commissioning of SPM (single-point mooring) facility by MRPL near the port has helped it to bring crude vessels of bigger parcel size. The facility has also helped reduce the time for handling such vessels.

The export of petroleum products from MRPL went up to 7.20 million tonnes (6.93 million tonnes) during the period.

The handling coal, which is another major cargo of the port, went up to 7.30 million tonnes (6.32 million tonnes) during April-February of 2013-14. A coal-based thermal power plant in the neighbouring Udupi district and other industries in the hinterland of the port have been importing coal through New Mangalore Port for the past several years.

Going by the current trend in cargo handling, the port would be able to cross the cargo handling figures of the last financial year, sources said. During 2012-13, the port handled 37.04 million tonnes of cargo. Their aim is to cross the target of 39 million tonnes set by the Shipping Ministry for the current financial year.

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