Krishnapatnam Port container terminal works pick up pace

- Container Corporation of India Ltd (Concor) is setting up the terminal at a cost of Rs 200 crore
- Krishnapatnam Port signed an agreement recently with Concor, to provide continuous movement of container traffic from the port to the hinterland
- The port sets its sights on expanding its activities in the container sector considering the rapidly growing potential for containerised trade

Nellore: The all-weather integrated container terminal with an annual capacity of 3 million TEU will be coming up at Krishnapatnam Port shortly. Intermodal logistics giant Container Corporation of India Ltd (Concor) is setting up the terminal at a cost of Rs 200 crore. Two berths with a draft of 13.5 m and length of 650 m, and a combined capacity of 1 million TEU for which works have already been commenced in the port. Concor, a wing of Indian Railways, is India’s largest intermodal services provider, with a network of about 65 inland terminals across the country which handles more than 3 million TEUs of hinterland cargo per year.

The State-owned company Concor has upgraded its weekly rail service connecting Krishnapatnam and Bengaluru to a bi-weekly operation to meet rising freight demand keeping in view of transporting goods from Krishnapatnam. The container trains from Inland Container Depot, Bengaluru, were scheduled to depart every Tuesday and Friday.

The service is expected to reduce the transportation time to 48 hours for both import and export transit posts that will vastly benefit heavy cargoes. According to sources, container volume of Krishnapatnam Port increased 30 per cent year-over-year during 2015-2016 to 1,19,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEU). The port began container operations in 2012 and is capable of handling 1.2 million TEUs annually.

The Krishnapatnam Port signed an agreement recently with Concor, to provide continuous movement of container traffic from the port to the hinterland. Port and Concor will jointly develop the needed rail infrastructure to cater to the growing container movement after terminal becomes operational shortly.

Many thermal plants, edible oil refinery units, fertiliser units and other port-based units are coming up in the region and the move will be an advantage for heavy cargoes from the district. The port started its operations in 2008 with 4 berths initially and then expanded to 14 berths so far. It is planning to set up total 42 berths in future by setting its sights on expanding its activities in the container sector considering the rapidly growing potential for containerised trade on the east coast. At present, coal, crude oil, machinery, raw sugar, phosphate, gypsum and fertilisers are being imported. Granite, rice, iron ore, quartz, barites and wheat are being exported to various places.

“The port has tie-up with Vikrama Simhapuri University for offering job-oriented courses in the related sectors. A security academy has also been set up for providing training to local jobless youth. We have also been serving the local community under CSR activity,” said a senior port official.