Visakha Container Terminal plans capacity expansion

Visakhapatnam: The Container Terminal at Visakhapatnam Port is making all arrangements to kick-start the berth extension works to increase the existing 450 mtrs length to another 395 mtrs shortly.

In this regard, the Visakhapatnam Port Trust board meeting has approved and given all the clearances to mega project to enhance the containers handling capacity from the existing 7 lakh per annum to another 5.30 lakh containers.

According to the sources, the VPT board meeting held here on Thursday approved the Visakha Container Terminal project extension project with an estimated cost of Rs 634 crore and will be completed in 2021. Once the project is completed this container terminal will be the longest berth of 845 mtrs in the country.

The terminal is one of the best all weather ports in the country. At present, with the existing berth length, one big and one smaller vessel only being berthed. Due to the lack of longest berth facility, several large ships have opting Kolkata and other major ports.

Once the longest berth is completed, two bigger vessels with 400 mtrs length each could easily berth in the terminal and number of containers can be handled. The price also could be reduced after the facility commenced.

“With 845 length of berth available for operations, smaller vessels from other ports will come to terminal for lifting of more containers and handling charges may also come with more number of containers being handled in two bigger vessels at a time. The other ports including Myanmar and Bangladesh vessels will also come to the Visakha Container Terminal.

During the recent years, the container cargo being increased and during the 2018 calendar year, there is a growth 15 per cent registered. Due to various reasons, the project was delayed and the VPT has approved the project. With this, the port city will witness more container business in the future,” a senior official of VPT told The Hans India.