Paradip Port Trust handled 56.55 million tonnes (mt) of traffic in 2012-13 as compared to 54.25 mt in 2011-12 thus recording 4.24 per cent growth. This was the second highest throughput in 51 years and the port achieved it despite a drop in exports of iron ore by 9.11 per cent (4.72 mt) and imports of fertiliser raw materials (dry) by 11.94 per cent (0.54 mt) and finished fertilisers by 49.15 per cent (0.14 mt) and import of coking coal by 10.81 per cent (4.91 mt), according to PPT sources.
However, during the period, the throughput of thermal coal exports (coastal shipment) jumped 30.41 per cent at 21.39 mt and of POL traffic by 9.11 per cent at 16.47 mt. Containerised traffic too posted a growth of 57 per cent at 1.71 lakh tonnes.
The performance parameters too showed significant improvement during the year under review. The average pre-berthing waiting time of vessels during the year improved by one per cent over the previous year and by three per cent over the target fixed by the Ministry. The average turnround time (overall) of the vessels improved by 31 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year and the average berth-day output by four per cent year-to-year.