Essar Vizag Terminal installs 8,000 TPH Ship Loader

Essar Vizag Terminal Ltd (EVTL) announced it took a week-long shutdown to complete the installation and commissioning of an 8,000 TPH (tons per hour) Ship Loader that forms a part of the company's Rs 830-crore expansion plan to upgrade the iron ore handling capacity of the Vizag Terminal (outer harbor) from 12.5 MTPA to 23 MTPA.

During the shutdown (13 December 2017 ÔÇô 19 December 2017), other cargo handling equipment, including a new reclaimer and a mechanical conveyor system, was also commissioned. Following these developments, EVTL expects to achieve a cargo handling rate of 120,000 TPD (tons per day), which will translate to shorter turnaround times and competitive freight costs for exporters on the east coast.

Commenting on the decision, CH Satyanand, CEO, EVTL, observed the shutdown was a planned move and that it was undertaken without any disruption to exportersÔÇÖ shipments.

Essar Vizag Terminals Limited (EVTL) took over the Vizag Port expansion project in May 2015 on a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) basis for a period of 30 years. Since then, the company has ramped up the iron ore loading capacity of the terminal from 25,000 TPD to 70,000 TPD.

After the completion of the upgradation-cum-modernization project, not only will the loading capacity increase to 120,000 TPD, but the facility will also be able to berth vessels up to 200,000 DWT, with a draft of 18 meters, on the outer harbor.