VO Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi has set a target to handle 50 million tonnes (mt) of cargo in the current financial year. In 2023-24, the port handled 41 mt. The port has a capacity of 81.05 MT.
Till July 25, the port handled 13.17 mt, including 2.47 TEUs of containers, according to a release.
To augment the capacity of the bulk cargo handling at the port, the North Cargo Berth III (NCB-3), with a Length overall (LOA) of 306 metres, will be dredged by the port by October this year to handle vessels up to 14.20 m draft. The dredging will also be parallel to the port’s entrance, approach channel, and turning circle area. JSW Infrastructure Ltd. will also mechanise the NCB-3 in a span of 18 months with short unloaders capable of discharging 7 MTPA.
The interim operations of the terminal on completion of dredging shall commence using 2 Harbour Mobile Cranes with a capacity of 100–120 tonnes to handle 2 million tonnes within this Financial year 2024-25, according to a release.
To boost the container trade, the port’s third Container Terminal,’ Tuticorin International Container Terminal’, operated by JM Baxi Group, will have a draft of 14.20 m and the capacity to handle 6 Lakh TEUs of containers.
The port is also in the process of removing the existing conveyor system and modifying 3 hoppers at Coal Jetty-2 (handed over by TANGEDCO) to facilitate the lighterage of fertiliser/fertiliser raw material vessels. The jetty has a draft of 12.7 metres. The release said the modification works have been targeted for completion by July 31, 2024.
Additionally, the port is set to install a link conveyor at Coal Jetty-1 for lighterage of coal vessels with an arrival draft of 13 m. Aimed at utilising CJ-1’s idle time, the port intends to enhance its capacity by 0.72 MMTA, with a target completion of the construction of the link conveyor by October 30, 2024.
To increase the throughput of North Caro Berth-2, the port has proposed to deploy an additional Harbour Mobile Crane with a capacity of 100 tonnes to enhance the capacity to handle 25,000 tonnes a day. Additional berth area of around 5,000 sq. metres each in NCB-2 and NCB-3 shall be made available by backfilling with dredged materials, and it will be completed by November 2024.
Susanta Kumar Purohit, Chairperson, VOC Port Authority, said in the release that the Authority was making all efforts to provide the necessary infrastructure to the EXIM trade for seamless cargo handling and evacuation.