Adani Ports Handled Record 420 Million Tonne Cargo In FY24

Cargo handled by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. rose 24% year-on-year to a record 420 million tonne in fiscal 2024. While the first 100 million tonne took 14 years, the second took five, and the third took three. The fourth took less than two years.

The company's domestic ports handled over 408 million tonne of cargo in the fiscal, according to company officials. Adani Ports is changing the face of seaports, setting new milestones for operational excellence along the way, they told PTI.

Crown jewel Mundra in Gujarat welcomed its maiden ship in 1998. Since then, Adani Ports has built a network of 15 ports and terminals in the east and west coasts of India, redefining infrastructure and operational capabilities to drive maritime trade, both within and outside the country.

Adani Ports' journey towards becoming the largest port operator in India has been marked by the acquisition of strategic assets across the country’s coasts. In line with its vision for growth and innovation, the company has been identifying ports with the potential to help it expand its footprint and provide it with a platform for transforming these facilities, officials said.

Two examples of this are the Dhamra port in Odisha and Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Situated on the east coast of the country, Dhamra Port in Bhadrak district of Odisha has emerged as a critical hub for dry cargo shipment in the region.

The all-weather port, about a four-hour drive from the state capital Bhubaneswar, is capable of handling some of the largest vessels on the high seas. Ten years ago, it handled just around 14 million tonne of cargo. Now, its capacity has gone up to over 42 million tonne, a threefold increase, according to officials.

About 1,200 km from Dhamra, Krishnapatnam Port in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh is a multi-commodity facility. It caters to the southern region of the country that has power, cement, and steel among other industries. In the past three years, the port's cargo handling capacity has gone up 17%.

After their acquisition, Adani Ports studied the existing facilities at Dhamra and Krishnapatnam and addressed the gaps by implementing tried and tested systems, officials said.

From optimising port operations by improving processes for cargo handling and storage to streamlining logistics operations and building inland infrastructure to ensure seamless movement of cargo, Adani Ports has been constantly innovating and evolving to meet the changing needs of partners, customers, and stakeholders.

"Dhamra port had two berths in 2014. Now, it has five. A single railway line was earlier used for the transportation of cargo. Now, another line is being laid to connect it to the national railway network. Similar infrastructure has been created to strengthen the road network," said an APSEZ official.

The deep draft port, APSEZ's first buy on the east coast, can accommodate capesize vessels and caters to industries in Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

In 2014, it handled nearly 14.3 million tonne of cargo. In March 2024, it handled 42.8 million tonne, marking a 3 times growth. Dhamra also has a Liquefied Natural Gas terminal of 5 million tonne capacity, that helps fulfil the requirements of Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Krishnapatnam, an all-weather, deep-water port acquired by APSEZ in 2020, is equipped to handle large vessels and offers multimodal connectivity through road and railway lines. Electrification of cranes has been one of the major upgrades at the facility.

Its current capacity is 75 million tonne, a significant increase from 64 million tonne four years ago, officials said.

Apart from world-class infrastructure and dedicated storage facilities, it has mechanised cargo handling systems, which increase operational efficiency and reduce turnaround time.

"Mechanisation to facilitate loading and unloading of cargo through rakes, conveyer systems that ensure efficient movement of cargo from vessels and digitisation of processes reduce turnaround time at our ports. They drive competitiveness, enhance capacity and increase efficiency. And this has positioned APSEZ as a preferred partner for shipping lines and cargo companies," the official said.

Karaikal port in Puducherry is in the vicinity of power plants and cement factories. Since it was taken over by APSEZ in 2023, it has seen a significant turnaround in cargo volume. In FY23, it handled nearly 10 million tonne of cargo. In FY24, the number went up to 13 million tonne.

In one port, the turnaround time—a strong indicator of operational expertise—has been cut from 7.5 hours to 3.5 hours by improving processes and use of technology, they said.

Over the years, APSEZ has successfully transformed its acquired assets into smart, technology-driven hubs with real-time tracking and monitoring solutions. Through regular training programmes, it ensures optimal utilisation of resources and upskilling of manpower.

(With inputs from PTI)

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