New Delhi: The Kolkata port on Monday marked the 125th birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee with the commissioning of container operations at newly developed berths at Netaji Subhas Dock and the revival of a mechanised thermal coal handling facility at Haldia Dock Complex, a senior Official said.
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The port is known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), since 2020 when the central government renamed the facility.
SMPK Deputy Chairman Samrat Rahi said M V Nawata Bhum became the first container vessel to berth at the newly developed Berths 7 and 8 at Netaji Subhas Dock, which are being operated by JSW Infrastructure under a public-private partnership model.
The vessel is scheduled to discharge 249 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and load 295 TEUs, taking the total container handling during its maiden call to 544 TEUs.
SMPK said the development marked the beginning of container operations at the new terminal and would be followed by the proposed Outer Berth Project, also to be developed by JSW Infrastructure, which will be the port's first outer berth.
The port said the projects, along with the modernisation of other berths, are aimed at enhancing cargo handling capacity, operational efficiency and global competitiveness.
At Haldia Dock Complex, SMPK announced the successful revival of the fully mechanised Thermal Coal Handling Berth-3, with the movement of coal from Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) for power utilities in southern India set to begin.
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The first railway rake carrying ECL coal is expected to arrive at the berth on July 7.
According to SMPK, the facility is equipped with a rapid wagon tippler, mechanised conveyor systems and high-capacity ship loaders, enabling an integrated rail-to-sea logistics model.
The model will allow coal to be transported by rail from eastern coalfields to Haldia and then shipped through coastal vessels to thermal power plants in southern India, reducing logistics costs, it added.
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