Big milestone for Kolkata Port! For the first time, a cape size vessel ‘M.V. LAKE D’ arrived at Sagar Anchorage, which is 80 miles away from Kolkata’s Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port and 25 miles away from Haldia Dock Complex (HDC). According to a press release shared by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the M.V. LAKE D vessel is one of the largest cape vessels of its kind with 66,000 MT of Steam Coal cargo bound for Nepal, built in the year 2011 and manned by 20 Filipino crew, anchored at Sagar. On 10 May 2021, the M.V. LAKE D vessel sailed from Abbot Point in Australia and enroute it took fuel at Singapore. Thereafter discharging nearly 95,810 MT of cargo at Vishakhapatnam in India, the vessel sailed for Sagar Anchorage.
According to the ministry, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata is having a constraint of draft in the channel and lock gate operation in the docks. By doing lighterage operation with this vessel which has a very wide beam and can carry higher parcel load in draft of 9.2 metres. The cargo ship will go directly to a floating jetty, thus lock gate operation will be avoided and barges can go fully at any time and discharge at Haldia Floating Terminal. For floating crane and floating jetty, an investment of Rs 170 crore has been done. It has been an endeavour by the port to encourage trade in order to mobilize full load vessel especially cape vessel for bringing cargo for Haldia Dock.
According to the Chairman of SMP, Kolkata, Vinit Kumar, M.V. LAKE D vessel’s arrival is significant, not only for being the first cape vessel at Sagar but also for carrying cargo of 66,000 MT, which would have been otherwise carried in two-three separate vessels. Alternatively, this quantity of cargo could have been carried in just one vessel which would have had to discharge half cargo at Vizag Port and carry the remainder to SMP.
Because of this substantial growth of lighterage operation, coupled with the multi-dimentional use-friendly measures such as improved facilities, better service, cost-effective customer-friendly charges as well as effective coordination among other relevant agencies, Kolkata Port Trust will be able to handle more than 65 million tonnes of cargo during the financial year 2021-22, the statement added.
Source : Financial Express
