In an initiative aimed at leveraging Gujarat’s position as an emerging global auto hub, the APM Terminals-operated Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd (APM Terminals Pipavav) and NYK Auto Logistics (India) on Friday announced setting up of a dedicated automobile yard (RoRo) at Pipavav port.
Under the arrangement, NYK Auto has been sub-leased land parcels by Gujarat Pipavav Port inside its premises for developing a dedicated common user integrated roll-on roll-off (RoRo) terminal with India’s first port based PDI and Vehicle Processing Center.
Gujarat Pipavav Port will provide all the port and related facilities to the logistics operator for ensuring smooth and seamless flow of automobile cargo. The yard is expected to be commissioned in the second quarter of calendar year 2015, Prakash Tulsiani, Managing Director, APM Terminals Pipavav, said.
“We are committed to increasing our existing service portfolio from container, bulk, liquid and now automotive cargo. NYK is a leader in operating auto terminals worldwide and has a fleet of RoRo ships offering regular sailings to and from the major ports around the globe”, he said.
Takaya Soga, General Manager, NYK Auto, Tokyo, said the Group is operating in India for the last 120 years. The NYK Group operates 18 RoRo terminals globally, including seven in China, Thailand and Singapore.
The RoRo yard at Pipavav with annual designed capacity of 250,000 vehicles will operate 365x7x24 hours and be equipped with dedicated custom bonded area, RFID for track and trace and CCTV cameras for security of cargoes.
APM Terminals Pipavav is part of an international network of 71 ports and terminals across 67 countries operated by APM Terminals BV, an independent business unit within the Maersk Group with interests in shipping, oil and drilling. Located in Gujarat, about 152 nautical miles north-west from JNPT, Mumbai, APM Terminals Pipavav is the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) port in India.