India’s Port of Jawaharlal Nehru unveiled plans to acquire four super post-Panamax rail-mounted quay cranes in a bid to improve productivity and boost container handling at the state-owned terminal.
The move comes after shipping lines complained of delays and low productivity due to inadequate infrastructure facilities at the terminal, which finally prompted local agents to seek urgent intervention with the Shipping Ministry.
At a recent operational review meeting, port officials said of the four new cranes, one would be ordered shortly, while bids have been invited for the remaining three.
Port users requested the authority consider compensating the trade for additional costs incurred as a result of infrastructure constraints, particularly lack of modern equipment.
The deployment of new equipment, coupled with the planned extension of the terminal by 330 meters, is expected to speed the traffic moving by rail at the country’s largest container port.
The berth extension project, being developed through private participation on an 18-year build-operate-transfer basis, will double the capacity at the port-run facility to 1.2 million TEUs, compared with 600,000 TEUs at present.
In recent months, Nehru has faced severe congestion because of a sudden surge in import arrivals amid slumping outbound volumes, forcing it to make special arrangements with Container Corp. of India to clear a jam of northbound inland boxes at the three terminals.
The west coast hub handles nearly 60 percent of India’s containerized traffic. Its throughput dropped to 3.95 million TEUs in fiscal 2008-09 ended March 31 from a record 4.06 million TEUs the previous year, and the management is hoping that a turnaround in the country’s foreign trade will help it perform better in the coming months.
The move comes after shipping lines complained of delays and low productivity due to inadequate infrastructure facilities at the terminal, which finally prompted local agents to seek urgent intervention with the Shipping Ministry.
At a recent operational review meeting, port officials said of the four new cranes, one would be ordered shortly, while bids have been invited for the remaining three.
Port users requested the authority consider compensating the trade for additional costs incurred as a result of infrastructure constraints, particularly lack of modern equipment.
The deployment of new equipment, coupled with the planned extension of the terminal by 330 meters, is expected to speed the traffic moving by rail at the country’s largest container port.
The berth extension project, being developed through private participation on an 18-year build-operate-transfer basis, will double the capacity at the port-run facility to 1.2 million TEUs, compared with 600,000 TEUs at present.
In recent months, Nehru has faced severe congestion because of a sudden surge in import arrivals amid slumping outbound volumes, forcing it to make special arrangements with Container Corp. of India to clear a jam of northbound inland boxes at the three terminals.
The west coast hub handles nearly 60 percent of India’s containerized traffic. Its throughput dropped to 3.95 million TEUs in fiscal 2008-09 ended March 31 from a record 4.06 million TEUs the previous year, and the management is hoping that a turnaround in the country’s foreign trade will help it perform better in the coming months.