Bengal port welcomes largest Capesize vessel carrying coal for SAIL

Kolkata: The Kolkata port authorities on Friday said a 299.92-meter Capesize vessel carrying 70,300 tonnes of coking coal for Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has arrived at Sagar anchorage, over 128 kilometres away from the city. MV Mineral Yangfan having 2,06,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) is the largest Capesize vessel to have called on the port at Sagar on Thursday.

"Capesize" is the largest class of cargo ship. They are called so as they cannot pass through the Panama Canal and have to go around the Cape of Good Hope to sail between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

"The arrival of M V Mineral Yangfan is significant. This is the largest Capesize vessel at Sagar. It is also carrying 70,300 tonnes of cargo which otherwise would have taken 2-3 vessels to carry," Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port Chairman Vinit Kumar said.

Kolkata port is now known as Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port.

Kumar said that the port authorities were trying to bring more large-sized vessels to reduce costs for the users.

The SMP is trying to bring in more Capesize vessels at Sagar which is closer to Kolkata and Haldia docks, compared to Sandheads where such cargo ships are generally anchored.

M V Mineral Yangfan is the 18th Capesize vessel in the current fiscal for the port but it is the largest one so far. In 2021-22, the port handled a total of 14 such ships.

Kumar said that after prolonged persuasion by the SMP, SAIL has agreed to bring two Capesize vessels per month and has a plan to mobilize a cargo throughput of 1.5 million tonnes per annum.

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