JSW Infrastructure, a ports company and part of the $13 billion JSW Group, has commissioned its first container terminal at New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT). The commissioning of the container terminal at NMPT marks JSW Infrastructure’s diversification and foray into the container cargo business. The container terminal at NMPT will aid the company’s plans to increase its diversified product portfolio and improve share of third-party cargo handled across its operations. The container business would provide JSW Infrastructure a firm footing to bid for future container handling projects in Indian and international markets. JSW Infrastructure has a 30-year concession agreement with NMPT for this container terminal on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis. This container terminal has a quay length of 350 meters and a backup storage area of 15.5 hectares.
Arun Maheshwari, joint MD and CEO of JSW Infrastructure, said, “Our new terminal at NMPT helps us diversify into container cargo business as part of our strategic roadmap to achieve 200 MTPA cargo capacity in India. The newly commissioned container terminal will also help us achieve an optimal cargo mix to steadily increase the share of third-party cargo business. The first phase of development of this terminal has been completed allowing us a current cargo capacity of 2.4 Lakh TEUs. In order to tap the emerging business opportunity in container cargo, we are investing more than Rs 300 crores to create a total capacity of close to 400,000 TEUs by FY24.”
JSW Infrastructure’s mechanized container terminal at NMPT will support the inland water-based infrastructure and regional development of the Mangalore SEZ. It is expected to provide impetus to the growth of cargo business in Karnataka’s hinterland regions including Hassan, Shimoga, Mysore, Bengaluru, South Karnataka and surrounding industrial hubs. JSW Infrastructure’s container terminal at NMPT is designed to handle mainliner cargo vessels at port of up to 9,000 TEUs. The mechanized container handling facility and increase in vessel size will provide inland water-based logistics support to boost hinterland trade in key hinterland markets
NMPT is an all-weather, lagoon type port situated at Panambur, Mangalore in Karnataka and is one of the major ports playing a key role for the economic development of Karnataka. Container traffic at NMPT has been growing at a CAGR of 15 per cent since 2016 as compared to Indian container traffic growth of 7 per cent.
