Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. (KPCL) has decided to increase its daily coal handling volume from one lakh tonnes to 1.50 lakh tonnes. This is due to increasing demand for coal from thermal, cement and steel plants located in Gummidipoondi.
Currently, 78,000 tonnes of coal was moved through 20 rakes, and another 27,500 tonnes through trucks and tippers to Bellary, Kadappa, Nandiyal and Gummidipoondi. Coal contributes about 70 per cent of KPCL total cargo volume.
Over 1,000 trucks of different capacities are used to move coal daily to AP and TN, and 110 trucks to Gummidipoondi. The present plan calls for doubling the number of trucks and tippers using just-in-time concept to deliver the coal.
On Saturday, KPCL officials entered into pact with 300 truckers in AP and TN..
Gummidipoondi is about 147 km from Krishnapatnam Port. Yet, the thermal, cement and steel plants preferred it for excellent logistics and speed of evacuation, sources said.
Talking to The Hindu , a KPCL official said: “These power and cement producers and steel manufacturers have started using our port as we are bringing in Cape Size vessels and Panamax vessels that could bring in huge volumes of coal in single transportation. ”
The Gummidipoondi sector did not have a railway yard to load and offload coal , he pointed out.
Last year, KPCL handled 25 MT of coal. This year, it would handle 38 MT, he said.
