The third week of May will be the new deadline projected by the Ports Department for the launch of the much-awaited coastal shipping operations in the state.
The Kerala State Maritime Development Corporation (KSMDC) is expected to pioneer coastal shipping in the state by operating a chartered vessel between Kochi and Kollam.
“It is expected that the operations can be launched by May third week. A Goan-based vessel with a capacity to carry 154 TEU containers and an in-built crane has been identified by KSMDC for the purpose,” Kollam Port Officer Captain Aswini Prathap told ‘Express’.
Meanwhile, a River Sea Vessel (RSV) ‘MV Great Sea-Vembanad’ was launched in Kochi the other day.
The 51 TEU container vessel was built at Century Shipyard, Panavally, near Kochi, for Great Sea Shipping Pvt Ltd, one of the shipping companies which has expressed interest in launching coastal shipping operations in the state.
Managing director and CEO of Great Sea Shipping N J Thomas said that they planned to start a fixed port-to-port service between Kochi and Kollam at the earliest.
“We are in an advanced stage of discussions with cashew exporters to transport cashew containers between Kochi and Kollam using the RSV.
We are planning a regular sailing on every alternate day between the two ports,” Thomas said.
The company claims to deliver 51 containers within 12 hours from Kochi to Kollam Port at a cost of Rs 10,000 per container.
A total of Rs 14,500 will be charged per container if it includes delivery within 20 km radius of Kollam.
“It is approximately 25 percent cheaper than road transport. Also, importers will be eligible for a cargo subsidy of Rs 3,000 per container from the State Government,” Thomas said.
Asked about the scheduled date of commencing operations, N J Thomas said that the project would be launched immediately when the Container Handling Crane was ready at the Kollam Port.
Port Officer Aswini Prathap said that tender procedures were progressing for the purchase of the crane and the port would soon be equipped with it.
He said that the department had made arrangements to rent a crane in the interim.
Port will have to pay Rs 7 lakh per month as rent for the crane and hence it can be rented only when ships start arriving regularly.
However, the crane will not be an issue for the launch of container operations by KSMDC as the chartered vessel has an in-built crane.
The port has other necessary facilities for handling containers, he said.
