JNPA Expands with New Berths for Liquid Cargo.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) is set to make two new liquid cargo berths fully operational within the next six months, according to Chairman Unmesh Wagh.

“We are very short of liquid cargo berths. There is a lot of waiting involved for ships as a result. But now we are adding two berths and they will be fully operational within six months,” Wagh stated. Currently, the Navi Mumbai port handles about 6.5 million tonnes per annum of liquid cargo at its two existing berths.

To meet the growing demand for liquid cargo handling, JNPA invested ₹225 crore from internal funding sources to develop the new berths on an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) basis.

“The new berths are already catering to edible oil cargo. But in the next six months, we will complete the installation of all arms for cargo handling and other construction activities. The capacity constraint will be taken care of,” Wagh added.

JSW Infrastructure Limited has emerged as the top bidder to operate the new berths, No. 3 and 4, quoting a royalty of ₹252 per tonne. The estimated capital expenditure for the operator is ₹69 crore, and a concession agreement was signed on April 8.

The additional berths are expected to alleviate pressure on the existing liquid jetties, reducing vessel waiting times and demurrage costs. Designed for larger vessels with expanded parcel sizes, the new berths promise to boost cargo volumes. During the first quarter of the financial year 2024-25, JNPA handled 14,88,295 tonnes of liquid cargo, slightly lower than the 14,98,625 tonnes managed in the same period the previous year.

HBL