Indian Port News

India's shipping ministry will follow foreign ministry advice when deciding whether to allow a ship carrying Russian oil that has been placed under U.S. sanctions to berth at an Indian port, the country's shipping regulator said.The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on three maritime companies and three vessels owned by them for shipping Russian oil sold above a price cap imposed by the Group of Seven nations, as Washington seeks to close loopholes in the mechanism designed…

The Russian embassy in India said on Tuesday that it was aware of a Russian cargo ship in detention at the Indian port of Cochin."Russian Embassy in India is aware of the Russian cargo ship detention in the Indian port of Cochin, on board of which a military cargo for the Indian Armed Forces was delivered," Reuters partner ANI quoted the embassy as saying."The Embassy has sent to the Ministry of External Affairs of India an official request for explanation of the circumstances of the incident. We have also asked the Ministry to ensure unconditional observance of the rights of the Russian ship-owners and crew," ANI quoted the embassy as saying(Reuters - Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Only three weeks after launching, a relief fund established to help seafarers and the families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic has collected $530,000 in pledges to date, nearly $400,000 of which has already been allocated to help those worst affected.The Seafarers International Relief Fund (SIRF), set up by seafarer welfare charities and the wider shipping industry, said the first three SIRF grants were enabled through The Seafarers’ Charity’s agile and established grant making processes and will provide funds to three seafarer charities…

When Ritesh Mehra, 43, enlisted for a four-month stint as captain on a liquid gas tanker last July, he never expected to be stranded at sea until spring.“Twice it has happened that the ports are not allowing crew change,” Mehra told Reuters via Zoom from the bridge of the 80,000 tonne ship docked outside the Indian port of Haldia.“My family won’t trust me anymore. I have been giving them dates when I would come home from December.”Mehra, who has 20 years’ experience at sea, is also trying to buoy the spirits of his nervous crew of 23…

There is no real risk of a spill from a fully loaded supertanker that caught fire off the east coast of Sri Lanka, a senior official in the Indian Ocean nation's navy said on Friday.The fire that broke out in the engine room of the New Diamond on Thursday morning had spread to the bridge of the ship, carrying about 2 million barrels of oil, though it has not reached the cargo area, the Sri Lankan navy said.Director-General of Operations Rear-Admiral Y N Jayarathna told reporters it was the navy’s view that there was no real danger of a spill…

Sri Lanka began towing a fully loaded supertanker on fire off its east coast after it began drifting towards land, a spokesman for the navy of the Indian Ocean nation said on Friday.The fire was still raging on the New Diamond tanker carrying about 2 million barrels of oil, said the spokesman, Captain Indika de Silva. There were 23 crew on board, one of whom is presumed dead, while the rest have been rescued from the ship.There were no signs of an oil leak from the vessel, he added.

The technology group Wärtsilä will upgrade its Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) installed in the Indian port of Cochin, bringing additional benefits such as improved traffic monitoring and control.The system was originally delivered in 2008, and the order with Wärtsilä to upgrade the system was placed in February 2020 by the Cochin Port Trust (CoPT). The upgrading project is scheduled for completion by the end of July 2020.According to Wärtsilä, the upgraded VTMS will enable…

Afghanistan's first refrigerated cargo was exported to India through Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar.Sistan and Baluchistan Ports and Maritime Director General Behrouz Aghaei stated that Afghanistan's first refrigerated cargo containing refrigerated grapes was exported to Indian port of Jawaharlal Nehru Port through Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar.He added: "Chabahar Port’s main Refrigerated Container Site with the capacity of 150 Containers for unloading and Loading Refrigerated Goods is under construction. In the current conditions, Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar is equipped with a temporary refrigerator for storage of refrigerated cargo containers with a capacity of 160 Containers."Aghaei emphasized that In the near future…

The government of India has informed that 111 waterways are being developed in phased manner as National Waterways (NWs) in the country for the purpose of shipping and navigation.The Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya that various initiatives have been taken by the Government to increase the use of Inland Waterways and Coastal Shipping for greater cargo shipment.These include providing assured depth of water in the channels, navigation aids like GPS and River Information System, terminals at regular intervals, facilities for mechanized handling of cargo handling etc.The Minister also informed that cargo transportation on waterways rose to 72.31 Million Tonnes in the year 2018-19…

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India’s largest private multi-port operator, reported a 41.45 percent surge in its consolidated net profit to INR 1,314.19 crore (USD 188.4million) for the quarter ended on March 31, 2019.However, its revenue fell 3.15 percent to INR 31 billion, said a stock exchange annoucement. Its coal volumes rose 30 percent year-on-year during the quarter, while the cargo volume increased 19 percent.The company also reported a record cargo throughput of 54 million metric tonnes in the three months ended March, according to the filing. Adani Ports in March had said it became the first Indian port operator to record a 200 MMT cargo movement.The Press Trust of India quoted Karan Adani…

India's largest container port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), has made its way to the top-30 container ports across the globe.JNPT notched up five spots as per the latest Lloyds Report, to be 28th on the list, compared to its previous ranking," Indian shipping ministry said in a statement.This is a validation of all the efforts and strategic initiatives being implemented at JNPT in order to enhance overall port efficiency, it said.Various new processes activated under the 'ease of doing business' initiative have not only helped in overall growth of the port business, but also allowed the EXIM (Export–Import) trade to save time and cost which in turn have accentuated the growth story…

Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Railways and state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra will enter into a pact tomorrow for implementing a new Indore- Manmad Railway Line Project.The project will be implemented through Indian Port Rail Corporation Limited on joint venture special purpose vehicle (SPV) model."An MoU will be signed tomorrow between JNPT- Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Railways, Govt of Maharashtra and Govt of Madhya Pradesh for implementation of 362 km Indore- Manmad New Railway Line Project," the shipping ministry said in a statement.The project will reduce the distance from Mumbai/Pune to key central India locations by 171 kilometers.The project passes through the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor nodes Igatpuri…

German shipping company Oldendorff Carriers has conducted a new transshipment operation of coal between two vessels, in the deep, protected water of the Andaman Islands within the Bay of Bengal, India. The Andaman Islands are an Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. There are roughly 300 islands, which are known for their palm-lined, white-sand beaches, mangroves and tropical rainforests. However, it was the deep and protected water that attracted Oldendorff Carriers to the Andaman Islands. "Our geared panamax Trina Oldendorff (75,053 tdw built 2013) loaded 73,086 mt of coking coal from Gladstone, Australia and sailed to the Andaman Islands," a statement said.

The Ministry of Shipping has re-rated the capacities of all berths across 12 Major Ports in order to benchmark port capacities with global standards as per Berthing Policy, 2016. The Re-rating exercise identified an additional capacity of 293MT available with the Major Ports. The effective rated capacity of 12 Major Ports is now 1,359 MT per annum and capacity at desired occupancy is 989 MT per annum. The effective rated capacity of Kandla Port is 246 MT, that is highest among Indian port, followed by 234 MT of Paradip Port. The re-rating exercise has been done in consultation with all Major Ports. The capacity utilization of berths in major ports is reviewed regularly.

The port of Antwerp is taking steps to further boost its name recognition in India, by expanding its network of local representatives and setting up the Port of Antwerp Alumni Association. On the occasion of the recent state visit to India by HM King Philippe of Belgium, three honorary representatives for North, South and West India were appointed by Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of Antwerp Port Authority, to support the port’s representative office in Mumbai. Further, the setting up of the Port of Antwerp Alumni Association (PA3), will give an additional boost to Antwerp’s reputation in India. The port of Antwerp has long had an active presence in India. Already in 2006 the Port Authority appointed a first full-time representative in the port city of Mumbai.

Major Qatari shipping conglomerate Qatar Navigation (Milaha) is launching a direct service between Qatar and Karachi in Pakistan, the company said on Sunday, as it seeks to counter economic sanctions against Doha by other Arab States. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and transport links with Doha on June 5, ending the use of Dubai's Jebel Ali port as a trans-shipment centre for goods flowing to and from Qatar. As a result, imports into Qatar plunged by more than a third from year-earlier levels in June and July…

Indian port sector players will continue to experience healthy growth in cargo in the near term, PTI reported quoting rating agency Icra. Traction in Inland Waterway projects will open up several business opportunities for the port sector players. "Over the medium to long term, cargo growth is expected to gain further traction driven by domestic requirements of coal for power and other sectors, crude oil, for meeting domestic petroleum requirements and containers, given the cost and logistical advantages associated with containerisation." Icra said in a statement. "Port sector players will continue to experience healthy growth in cargo in the near term…

The Ministry of Shipping in India is organizing a workshop titled ‘Promoting Coastal Shipping and Inland Navigation in India’ in Bhubaneswar, Odisha state today. This is the second in a series of workshops the Ministry plans to hold over the next 6-8 months to create awareness about the Sagarmala programme amongst the stake holders and to engage with them. India’s 7500 kms of coastline and almost 14,000 kms of navigable rivers provide the perfect platform for the development of integrated water based transport system for domestic and EXIM freight as well as passenger transport. The promotion of coastal shipping and inland navigation will help to reduce the congestion on the road and rail network.

Significant improvement in efficiency has been achieved by India's Major Ports in the last two years, said the Minister of State for Shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan. With a view to improve further the efficiency and productivity of the major ports and make it comparable internationally, a benchmarking study of Major Ports to international standards has been conducted which has recommended 116 initiatives  out of which 70 have already been implemented. Under the Sagarmala programme, the Government has proposed to connect ports with National Highways and Rail network for efficient evacuation to and from hinterland. Fifty rail connectivity enhancement projects have been identified, out of which 25 have been taken up by the Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd. (IPRCL) for implementation.

APM Terminals Pipavav welcomed the Hoegh Tracer, one of the world’s largest pure car and truck Carrier (PCTC), and the largest to ever call an Indian port. At 14 decks high, the Hoegh Tracer has a capacity of 8,500 vehicles, and loaded 1,700 cars at Pipavav for export delivery on the Hoegh Middle East, India and Africa (MIAF) Service. APM Terminals Pipavav, in partnership with NYK Auto Logistics (India), opened a dedicated common user integrated RoRo terminal in August of 2015, with a capacity of 250,000 vehicles annually. The port is equipped to accommodate 4,500 to 5,000 cars and a Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) facility. There is also a mobilization yard for 150 cars, with a capacity to accommodate approximately 500 cars on the Quay.

Indian port professionals who follow courses given in Mumbai by APEC, the port of Antwerp training centre, can now benefit from a purpose-built training facility. The new facility was officially opened on Monday this week during the annual Port of Antwerp Mission to India, in the presence of Belgian deputy prime minister Alexander De Croo, port alderman Marc Van Peel, APEC principal Kristof Waterschoot, JNPT chairman Shri Neeraj Bansal and Indian Port Association chairman Shri Sanjay Bhatia. Port professionals in India have been able to follow APEC courses since 2015 when the Antwerp training institute signed a five-year agreement with the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), the largest container port in India.

Sagarmala Programme, an ambitious port-led infrastructure development programme of the government to harness India’s 7,500-km, is now moving from the conceptualization and planning to the implementation stage. The National Perspective Plan (NPP), for the comprehensive development of India’s coastline and maritime sector, has been prepared and was released at the maiden Maritime India Summit 2016, on 14th April, 2016, by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. As part of Sagarmala, more than 400 projects, at an estimated infrastructure investment of more than Rs. 7 lack crore, have been identified across the areas of port modernization & new port development, port connectivity enhancement, port-linked industrialization and coastal community development.

The Shipping and Road Transport sectors in India have together spent a total of about Rs 4 lakh crores ($60billion) in the past two and a half years as they work towards building world class highways and shipping infrastructure in the country, says the Cabinet Minister Nitin Gadkari. While the Road Transport & Highways Ministry has spent about Rs 3 lakh 17 thousand crores to build a total of 14,594 Km and award 21,247 Km of National Highways, the Shipping Ministry has spent about Rs 80,000 Crores for various projects aimed at modernizing and mechanizing the shipping sector and making it more efficient. Talking about the ambitious Sagarmala programme of the Shipping Ministry Shri Gadkari said that it will bring about a major reduction of  logistics cost for EXIM and domestic trade.