BHUBANESWAR: Paradip Port has handled its highest-ever annual cargo of 135.36 million tonne in 2022-23 against 116.13 million tonne during the previous financial year registering a growth of 16.56 per cent. The growth in cargo handling achieved by Paradip Port is the highest among all ports of the country, said Paradip Port Trust chairman P L Haranadh here on Sunday.
He said port has achieved highest ever coastal shipping traffic of 58.42 million tonne which is 38 per cent more than the previous year. The thermal coal coastal shipping has grown by 14 MT over the previous year cargo handling and it is emerging as a hub for coastal shipping in the country.
The port has been able to improve its berth productivity to 31,050 MT from 27,295 MT of previous financial year, thus registering 13.76 per cent growth. The berth productivity achieved by the port is the highest among all the ports of the country.
With 289 million tonne rated capacity, Paradip Port is poised to cross 300 million tonne capacity in another three years with the commissioning of western dock project. The western dock project with 25 million metric tonnes capacity has been awarded to JSPL during 2022-23.
PPT which has mechanised 80 per cent of the berths plans to become 100 per cent mechanised by 2030. Plan are afoot to add another four berths for which requisite approval will be taken.It is planning to improve the connectivity by commissioning two road flyovers within its premises with a cost of Rs 150 crore to avoid surface crossing of rail and road traffic.
This will enable the port to handle road traffic seamlessly, he added. As a part of its port lead industrialisation initiatives, the port has allotted 769 acre of land to various industries which will bring more than Rs 8,700 crore of investment and thus attracting 50 million tonne of traffic to port.
PPT has also planned to develop 10 MW solar power plant to power the operations of the port, totally by renewable energy.