Vallarpadam International transhipment terminal has been a dream for so may years and the dream is slowly coming true now ! As per initial plans , the terminal should have been operational from Nov’09 . Like all other big projects, this too has so called ‘technical issues’ which delays the commissioning. As per the latest update, the terminal will be operational with effect from April’10.
Though Vallarpadam was in news for many years , I wonder how many of you know the difference between the present Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal and the International Transhipment Terminal in the making.
Through the present RGCT , we can do the import and export of containers , ie, we can ship in containers which is destined to Cochin and ship out containers from Cochin to other country/port . Coastal movement , transportation of containers from one Indian port by sea to another Indian port, also possible. This year the Customs /Port authorities allowed shipping companies to tranship containers via Cochin to other Indian Ports like Tuticorin,Mangalore etc using coastal services (Indian flagged ships which calls only Indian Port ). But transhipment of containers via Cochin to other Foreign ports were not allowed, because RGCT is not a ‘Tanshipment Terminal’ .
What is a Transhipment Terminal?
Transhipment in simpler terms is a container coming in to the terminal ( a port can have multiple terminals , it is something like North and South railway stations in Ernakulam, or Central and Egmore railway stations in Chennai) by ship and going out from the terminal by another , generally bigger in size, ship. In other words transporting a container by sea from one port (eg, Cochin ) via an interim port (egs, Colombo) to the final destination ( Europe,USA,Australia etc) . Such switching ports are called ‘Hub Ports’ or Transhipment ports.
When Vallarpadam is commissioned , like our neighboring hub (transhipment) ports Singapore & Colombo, shipping companies could tranship containers to / from foreign ports via Cochin (Vallarpadam ) . This is expected to bring a lot of revenue
Good day!! Ma'am,
ReplyDeleteMay be......
As per the conditions now,the ICTT vallarpadam is in big trouble as vizhinjam is going to be a reality.ICTT they are incurring huge cost for dredging also no mother vessels can berth asper draft available now, may be a medium sized vessel can.
We will have to wait and see whether Bunkering point and other services available in addition may bring an opportunity to vallarpadam to row on
Mahesh
+91 9567390506
mahesh3589@rediffmail.com