The volume of containers handled by Adani Hazira Container Terminal, a privately-operated alternative gateway on India’s west coast, nearly doubled in fiscal year 2015-16, which ended March 31, driven by new service additions.
Port statistics released by the company show throughput jumped 96 percent from 154,374 20-foot-equivalent units in fiscal 2014-15 to 302,755 TEUs.
“This is a remarkable achievement by the AHCT team,” the private operator said in a written statement.
AHCT is owned and operated by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, which has a clutch of cargo facilities across India, including its flagship Mundra.
Hazira Port, which is about 120 nautical miles north of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, began container handling in early 2013.
The private terminal has seen strong growth over the past two years as major container carriers, seeking to tap into booming hinterland industrial markets, introduced regular, weekly calls at the minor west coast facility. Hazira’s service profile includes Maersk Line’s ME3 linking India, the Middle East and Europe; CMA CGM’s EPIC between India and North Europe; Mediterranean Shipping Co.’s IPAK between India and Europe; OOCL’s intra-Asia CPX; and the intra-Asia “Galex” operated by a four-member consortium. Starting this month, MSC has also added Hazira to its India-South Africa loop.
Some of those service changes have also been fueled by congestion and other bottlenecks at JNPT in recent months.
“The strategic advantages of Hazira include world-class infrastructure to handle container vessels and seamless rail-road connectivity to the cargo catchment centers in South Gujarat, Central India and Northern Maharashtra,” AHCT said.
The Hazira terminal comprises two berths with total quay of 2,132 feet, a draft of 46 feet, about 3,300 ground slots, six quay cranes and 16 rubber-tire gantry cranes. It is capable of handling 750,000 TEUs per year.
On the connectivity front, the terminal received a push this year with state-owned rail operator Container Corporation of India launching a regular train service connecting Hazira to Pithampur, a busy inland destination in the central region.
Source: JoC
Source: JoC