Welcome to episode 32 of The Port Report from THE WEEK, with the latest updates from the world of ports for the week of September 19-25.
The Paradip Port recorded more than 68 per cent year-on-year growth in hydrogenated coal handling in August FY 2026-27, rising from 3.53 lakh metric tonnes to 5.93 lakh metric tonnes.
Rail cargo handling at the port also grew by nearly 15 per cent over August, with average rake unloading rising from about 37 rakes per day in FY 2025-26 to about 43 rakes per day this fiscal.
This growth includes a nearly 33 per cent growth in iron ore and pellet rake unloading, as well as a 13 per cent growth in thermal coal rake unloading.
The Odisha-based port also finally accepted the Vietnamese bulk carrier Tan Binh 259 earlier this month, after which it unloaded its cargo of more than 25,000 metric tonnes of stainless steel coils.
The ship, which had been stranded in the port’s anchorage since July 22, had been caught in a legal dispute with the Paradip Port Authority, which had sought an e-bank guarantee of ₹6.28 crore from its owners due to its lost anchor and chain.
Next, the Kamarajar Port has achieved a new milestone by handling 11,240 TEUs of cargo from the MSC Pamela calling under the AEX/NEMO service on September 21.
Handled by Adani Ennore Container Terminal Private Limited, this is the highest number of containers handled from a single vessel among the ports on India's eastern coast.
The previous record of 10,563 TEUs was set in June this year by a Maersk Line vessel.
Moving on, DP World Cochin on Monday announced the launch of the MGR IFR, its newest maritime service connecting Indian ports to three key markets in the Middle East.
The two Indian ports included in the fortnightly service are the Cochin Port in Kerala and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra. Other ports in the rotation are the Fujairah Port in the UAE, the Sohar Port in Oman, and the Port of Aden in Yemen.
Finally, the Kerala government finalised plans for the development of the Kollam Port as a "satellite port" for Vizhinjam, earlier this month.
A satellite port is one located near a bigger, bustling port, sharing some of its cargo load, helping decongest it, and more importantly, functioning together as a unit, which is vital to the Sagarmala programme.
That's all from Port Report with THE WEEK, and we'll see you next week. For more updates from the maritime sector, visit the special microsite at theweek.in.
