Third terminal to enhance JNPT capacity

MUMBAI: Huge container carriers owned by Maersk, Hyundai, China Shipping and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) have made a long queue at Gateway Terminals India (GTIPL), the third container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Nhava Sheva, before its formal commissioning. The terminal, which was formally inaugurated by AL Bongirwar, chairman, Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP), on Thursday, has already achieved the feat of de-congesting JNPT, India’s largest container port.

The terminal, which is adding 1.3-1.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container handling capacity to the country’s total 4.6 million TEUs, is a JV between APM Terminals and Container Corporation of India (Concor).

JNPT, which already operates two terminals including a private terminal, has handled 2.67 million TEUs during last financial year. With the new terminal in full swing, JNPT can handle around 4 million TEUs.

GTIPL was developed on the build, own, transfer (BOT) basis for 30 years. APM Terminals is part of the AP Moller-Maersk group and a leading, independent, container terminal operator. Concor is a government-owned provider of containerised rail transport in India.

Currently, shipping lines are operating nine different liner services from the terminal to various international destinations. This will go up to 14 services by February, said GTIPL. The terminal has inducted eight post-panamax quay gantry cranes and 3 rail-mounted gantry cranes for container handling operations. The terminal has been operational partially since March 14, 2006.

Kim Fejfer, CEO, APM Terminals, said the terminal opened six months ahead of schedule and has now turned fully operational. “Much of what we have been able to achieve here comes from our local partnership with Concor in this JV, and the support of JNPT, and government organisations,” he said.