The terminal is the operator’s second to open on the Indian subcontinent. The Dubai-based terminal operator opened DP World Lahore, which is also known as the Prem Nagar Dry Port, in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city last Thursday.
DP World inaugurated the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) in India’s Port of Cochin on schedule – despite a strike which had closed the Port of Cochin for a week prior to the event. The new terminal is a public-private partnership between DP World and the government of India, with Container Corporation of India, Transworld and Chakiat as strategic partners in the venture. The largest single-operator container terminal in the country, ICTT, which will be operated as DP World Cochin, was built at a cost (including other infrastructure facilities such as road and rail connections) of more than USD600 million.
With the opening of the new facility, container handling will move entirely to DP World Cochin from the nearby Rajiv Gandhi Terminal over coming weeks. The older facility may be converted by Cochin Port Trust to handle greater volumes of non-containerized bulk cargo.
ICTT will be completed in three phases. In the first phase, the 1,968-foot long quay with a draught of around 48 feet will be able to simultaneously serve several of the world’s largest container ships – those with a nominal capacity of around 10,000 TEU – with capacity to handle 1 million TEU annually. Capacity will expand in line with market demand, increasing to around 1.5 million TEU in the second phase; once fully commissioned, capacity will be around 4 million TEU.
“Container trade in India has been growing year on year by 15 percent, and the development of a transshipment and gateway hub within the country we believe will contribute to further growth,” said Anil Singh, senior vice president and managing director of DP World Subcontinent. “There is considerable potential to expand the terminal over time, and we will grow as our customers grow.”
As its share of the public-private partnership, the Indian government has also constructed and enhanced supporting infrastructure including a four lane national highway connecting the terminal to the rest of India. A new five-mile long electrified rail link will also allow 15 trains to serve the terminal daily, connecting customers directly with India’s national rail network.