In 2010-11, the net profit of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) was Rs.105 crore. The port's income was Rs.339.80 crore and total expenditure Rs. 234.50 crore, said P. Tamilvanan, Chairman, New Mangalore Port Trust, here on Tuesday.
The ban on iron ore had affected the performance of the port, he told presspersons. During 2010-11, the port handled 31.55 million tonnes (mt) as against 35.52 mt in the previous year, a decline of 11.20 per cent, he said
Iron ore fines handled at the port fell from 52.07 lakh tonnes in 2009-10 to 9.38 lakh tonnes in 2010-11, a decline of 81.97 per cent. Limestone fell by 71 per cent from 11.27 lakh tonnes to 3.26 lakh tonnes in 2010-11, he said.
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The port found substitutes for the shortfall with coal, containers, LPG, iron pellets from KIOCL, granite, and timber, he said.
As iron ore rakes returned with limestone, the quantity of limestone handled at the port had declined. However, the port was ready to handle increased quantities of iron ore following lifting of ban on exports, he said.
Container traffic at the port had seen a rise of 27 per cent. It was 40,158 TEUs this year as against 31,456 TEUs during the previous year.
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Work on mechanisation of iron ore handling, entrusted to SICAL Logistics at a cost of Rs. 296 crore, was expected to be completed in two years. The mechanised coal handling system at Berth 15 was expected to be commissioned shortly, Mr. Tamilvanan said.
For the fourth consecutive year, total revenue crossed Rs. 300 crore. For the sixth consecutive year, the port earned a net surplus of Rs.100 crore, he said.
Achievements during 2010-11 included records such as handling 40,158 TEUs of container traffic and handling container traffic of 611 TEUs in a day. It also included handling a record coffee traffic of 6,103 TEUs, export of 1,168 TEUs of wax candles, and 2,985 TEUs of fish meal export, he said.
He said the port handled a record LPG traffic of 1.91 mt, and a record quantity of coal (2.83 mt). It also received a large gas carrier.
The port sent its first ever export of garments to the U.S., he said.