Tuticorin announces expansion

The Indian port of Tuticorin has announced a $1.3 billion building project to help it meet an expected growth in traffic.

Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT) officials say the plans include the construction of a new coal berth and the development of a new container terminal from an existing berth.

The project is scheduled to boost cargo handling capacity from 20.55 million metric tonnes (mt) per year to 40.60 million mt through an Inner Harbour Development Programme.

According to TPT deputy chairman A Subbiah, a future Outer Harbour Development Programme is also being planned to create additional cargo handling capacity of 37.5 million mt by 2012 and 43.7 million mt by 2017.

Key sectors using Tuticorin port are garment and textile exporters and importers of machinery in the Tirupur, Karur and Salem regions.

Tuticorin gives them direct links to the United States and to European and Asian ports.

According to the TPT, the Sethusamudram shipping canal project is expected to be completed next year and ports on both the east and west coast are expected to use Tuticorin port as a transshipment hub.

The Sethusamudram shipping canal project plans to provide a continuous navigable sea route around the Indian peninsula.

The project is expected to boost economic development of the coastal state of Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, 2006-07 figures show that Tuticorin port handled 18.70 million tonnes of cargo, a 9% growth year-on-year.

Container throughput for the same period grew 17% to 377,000 twenty-foot equivalent units.

Source: PortWorld