Source says Adani Ports 6th Mundra container terminal to start operations Jan
Informist, Wednesday, Dec 20, 2023
By Sunil Raghu
AHMEDABAD – Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd's flagship port Mundra is likely to see the addition of a sixth terminal to handle containers from as early as next month, a senior company official said. "The current capacity of five container terminals at Mundra port stands at around 3.4 mln containers and the sixth one, when complete, could add additional capacity of 800,000 containers per annum," the official told Informist on condition of anonymity.
Mundra Port has 28 berths and two single-point moorings across eight terminals. Of these, five are container terminals. Of the other three, one is used to handle coal, one to handle liquefied natural gas, and the third to handle dry cargo. Liquid cargo is handled at the single-point moorings. Each terminal has the capacity to berth two-four ships at any given time, depending on the length of the terminal.
While the installed, or nameplate, capacity of five container terminals is 3.4 mln containers, the port handled 6.74 mln containers in 2022-23 (Apr-Mar). The official said that in 2023-24, Mundra port could handle up to 7.5 mln containers. The port handles nearly a third of the country's total container cargo.
The port handles more than the capacity, as it works in multiple shifts.
"Our target is to have capacity ahead of the demand and over the next three-four years, the target for Mundra port is to cross 10 mln containers per annum," he said.
In volume terms, Mundra is the largest port in Adani Ports' stable, with the capacity to handle 264 mln tn of cargo every year. This is about 46% of the total capacity of 602 mln tn that Adani Ports has across 14 ports and terminals it operates currently. Mundra Port handled only 157 mln tn of cargo in 2022-23, against the capacity of 264 mln tn. This is expected to rise to 175 mln tn this year and 200 mln tn by 2024-25, the official said.
Adani Ports handled 337 mln tn of cargo in 2022-23, of which containers accounted for 38%. In the first eight months of this financial year, the company handled 275 mln tn of cargo, up 21% on year. This was 70% of the company's full-year guidance of 370-390 mln tn.
Shares of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone today closed 5.8% lower at 1,012.15 rupees on the National Stock Exchange. End
