India is one of the dominant participants of the international trade industry. The credit of this dominance goes to the well-functioning seaports of the country. There are a total of 200 ports, out of which 13 are major ports, and 187 minor and intermediate ports. In the list of the 13 major ports, the Mundra port owns the third position, being the only private port in the country. Yes, it is a private port situated in the Kutch district of Gujarat. Let us have a look at all the amazing facts that make this seaport this valuable.
Ownership & Geographic Location
The Adani Groups of Gujurat are the proud and legal owners of the Mundra port. After the port became India’s first special economic zone based on a multi-product port in 2003, the owners signed a sub-concession agreement to include a container terminal within the port. Ever since the port expanded its shipping operations, it is called, “APSEZ (Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones) Limited”. For export and import requirements related queries, click here to know more.
The Mundra port covers a huge area with 2,25,000 sq. m. of covered or closed godowns and an open vessel and container storage area of 3,150,000 sq. m. The liquid storage capacity is as much as 4,25,000 kilolitres. The steel storage yard of the port covers 1,20,000 sq. m. and consists of all the advanced equipment used for handling all types of heavy steel cargo. The SEZ (Special Economic Zone) area is the extended land of the port that is still under development. It covers over 84 km2 and consists of container freight station, container terminal, rail, etc.
Port Terminals & Storage Capacity
Mundra port has a total of 10 terminals serving different purposes with as many as 24 berths. The multi-purpose container terminals comprise nine birth in total. Although the dimensions and area of each berth are different, all of them can accommodate vessels. The largest if the barge berth which has a vessel storage capacity of 2500 DWT (Deadweight). The port also has 21 dockside warehouses to offer that can store wheat, rice, sugar, raw materials, fertilizers, etc. The open storage area is used for steel storage, including steel sheets, plate, scrap, coils, clinker, coal, etc.
Milestones Achieved
The Mundra port has achieved numerous milestones within the past two decades os its service.
- The coal terminal of Mundra port is the world’s largest coal importing container terminal. It cost a whopping INR 2,000 crores.
- It has a four-lane RoB that is 1.5km long. It is the first-ever RoB within a port in India, and it can handle as much as 100 MT (Metric Tonnes).
- The largest port operator and developer of India is the part of the Adani Groups.
- The private rail network of Mundra port rolls up to 117 km.
- It became the first Indian seaport to handle 10 crores tonnes of cargo in 2013-14.
Cargo Traffic
The cargo traffic of the Mundra port includes a diverse range of commodities ranging from hazardous substances to raw materials. The annual cargo traffic at the port is recorded around 113.72 MT. The cargo shipments at the port of Mundra include dry cargo, breakbulk, project cargo, crude oil, liquid materials, cars, and containers, etc. Steel cargo, agricultural commodities, chemicals, minerals, fertilizers, steam and coking coal are also on the list.
Mundra port is the third-largest port of India. It is still under development with many underlying projects to expand the cargo handling capacity and facilities. Traders can also invest in the IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) of the port. Keeping in-depth knowledge about the major ports of the country can easily help one plan the cargo shipping in a better way.