New Mangalore Port posts modest growth in cargo handling

Mangalore: The New Mangalore Port handled 26.05 million tonnes (mt) of cargo during the first nine months of the current fiscal as against 24.12 mt in the year-ago period, registering a growth of 8 per cent.

The port, which handled 12.20 mt (11.29 mt) of import cargo, registered a growth of 8.11 per cent during the period.

It handled 13.84 mt of export cargo in the review period as against 12.82 mt in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, registering a growth of 7.92 per cent.

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) contributed 15.25 mt to the total throughput of the port.

The port handled 8.90 mt of crude oil and 6.34 mt products of MRPL during the period.

Apart from MRPL cargo, petroleum, oil and lubricants registered a growth of 82.27 per cent and LPG cargo came down by 3 per cent during the period.

Stir hits iron ore handling

The Chairman of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), Mr P. Tamilvanan said that the strike by the lorry operators during the third quarter affected the iron ore cargo handling at the port.

However, the port registered a growth of 19.51 per cent in the handling of iron ore fines during the period.

During the first three quarters, the port handled 4.30 mt of iron ore fines as against 3.60 mt in the year-ago period.

The port registered a decline in the handling of iron ore pellets during the period. It handled 2.45 mt (2.96 mt) of iron ore pellets. Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd is the sole exporter of iron ore pellets from New Mangalore Port.

Mr Tamilvanan said that the new multipurpose deep-draught berth, with facilities for mechanical handling of iron ore cargo, would be commissioned during the current year.

Container cargo registered a growth of 13.10 per cent in terms of quantity and 10.89 per cent in terms of number of TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) handled during the first nine months of the current fiscal.

The port handled 1.18 lakh tonnes (1.04 lakh tonnes) of container cargo and 7,778 TEUs (7,014 TEUs) containers during the period.