Cochin Port Registers Record Cargo Throughput in 2009-10

KOCHI: Cochin Port has achieved an all time high cargo throughput of 17.43 Million tons in 2009-10, a 12.5 per cent growth over the previous year and is targetting 19.11 million tons for 2010-11.

This record throughput is almost two million tonnes more than the throughput of 15.49 Million Tonnes in 2008-09, a port press release said Monday.

Though traditional cargo like coal, fertilizers, industrial salt recorded a 10 per cent fall, the deficit was compensated by higher volumes in liquid bulk, especially petroleum products and in general cargo like cement, iron scrap and timber logs.

Container traffic registered about 11 per cent increase. A total of 289817 TEUs containers were handled in the year, as against 260784 TEUs in 2008-09. Vessel traffic registered an increase of 18 per cent in 2009-10, while the average turn around time of ships showed an improvement of 3 per cent. The average ship berth day output also registered an improvement of two per cent.

The increase in cargo throughput has brought in additional revenue of about Rs 6 crore in terms of wharfage alone.