Vizag Port handles 73.73MT cargo in FY23

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA), a premier port among a dozen major ports in India, has retained fourth position by handling highest-ever cargo of 73.73 million tonne (MT) during 2022-23.

The port also retained second position in the east coast after Paradip Port. Steam coal went up by 67 per cent whereas POL and crude oil increased by 13 per cent over the previous year.

As part of making VPA a landlord port, three PPP projects were awarded during the financial year with an investment of Rs 655 crore and another two projects are in the advanced stage of finalisation.

VPA outgoing Chairman K Rama Mohana Rao said recently that there was marginal fall in thermal coal, iron ore and pellets and container traffic. VPA handled a throughput of 73.01 million tonnes as on March 29.

Visakhapatnam Port, which was set up in 1933, has set a new record by crossing 71.68 million tonnes as on March 23 surpassing the target set by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways registering 6.93 per cent growth over the previous year, VPA tweeted last week.

The VPA official said the port surpassed the previous best of 72.72 million tonnes which was achieved during 2019-20. In 2021-22, the port handled 69.03 million tonnes as against 69.84 in 2020-21. The port could do well despite stiff competition from neighbouring ports due to focus on new cargo such as bauxite, food grains and processed food grains and miscellaneous cargo. The port is also one of the leading ports in handling frozen shrimp to the United States, Japan and the European Union.

The monthly average throughput received by VPA during 2022-23 was 60.83 lakh tonnes as against 57.53 lakh tonnes the previous year. Average day-wise cargo handled was 2.01 lakh tonnes compared to 1.89 lakh tonnes last year.