Formerly popular as Madras port, the Chennai port is described by many as the “Gateway to South India”. It is located on the southern Coromandel coast of India and is nearly 565 kilometers northeast of the Cochin Port and approximately 1000 kilometers from the Port of Mumbai. Keep reading to know why it is the best port in Asia!
The Port of Chennai is the most important port of India.
The Port of Chennai is an important administrative and cultural center as well as the capital city of the famous southern state Tamilnadu. According to data of the year 2001, nearly 4.3 million people lived in the city, while more than 6 million lived in the area surrounded by the port of Chennai. Here are the reasons why it is an important Asian port:
1. Biggest and Oldest Commercial Port in India
First of all, the Port of Chennai is one of the largest as well as the oldest commercial port of the developing country India. Before establishing itself as an indispensable part of the Indian maritime routine, it was used as an important port for transportation during ancient times.
The Port of Chennai is operated by CCT (Chennai Container Terminal) Private Limited and its first container terminal was opened in 1983. Over the years, it has seen dramatic growth in container traffic. And with the establishment of a second terminal, an additional 1.5 million TEU was further added to the Port of Chennai. Next, the third terminal was established in 2013 and added a capacity of 5 million TEUs.
Currently, the port has a total handling capacity of 3,000, 000 TEUs and it is expected to reach 8,000,000 TEUs in the next few years. [ Learn More: https://www.cogoport.com/ports/chennai-inmaa]
2. Robust Infrastructure
The Chennai Port is one of the most active ports in Asia. It operates 24 hours a day and 365 days a year irrespective of the weather conditions. It boasts high efficiency, with an average turnover of merely over two days, pre-berthing detention of less than an hour, and berthing on arrival.
Further, it has also established the first-ever Marine Pollution Management system in the country, with an objective to preserve marine life. The Port of Chennai is also developing extra land by dredging and filling. Phase I of this project added 7.8 hectares, and Phase II will add another 60 hectares of the new Chennai Mega Terminal and Gate 1 for the containers.
There is no shortage of cargo handling equipment in the port of Chennai. It has a floating crane with a maximum capacity of 150-ton and around three mobile cranes with a capacity of 10-tons each.
Further, it also has 10 diesel forklift trucks of capacity 3-tons each and 10 higher capacity forklift trucks as well. The Port of Chennai also has 14 electric locomotives and 2 payloaders (3-ton capacity each). There is a coal conveyor with a capacity of 15 million tons per year and an hourly handling capacity of 1500 tons per hour.
3. Award-winning Chennai Container Terminal
The Chennai Container Terminal is the first terminal opened in 1983 and is operated by DP World. It has won Lloyd’s List Middle East & Subcontinent Award for being the Best Terminal Operator. This terminal can smoothly handle 5th generation container vessels with a capacity of up to 6400 TEUs. Further, it has direct services to Europe, China, United States, and West Africa, linking the Indian economy to the rest of the world.
The port of the CCT wharf is around 2903 feet long and has four berths besides the depth of 44 feet. Located within the limits of the city, the CCT has a bit of limited yard space which at times resulted in a week-long dwell time for the containers. However, under the management of DP World, this dwell time got reduced to less than a day or 24-hours.
The CCT also includes a well-functional Container Freight Station expanded in 1.6 acres of covered land and offering key services like LCL, Inspections, delivery of imported cargos and de-stuffing. This terminal of the port of Chennai is known for its world-class infrastructure and state-of-the-art services. It was the first-ever e-terminal in India that provided time and cost-saving online and paperless services to the customers.
4. Brings New Business and Investment Opportunities
The Port of Chennai plays a vital role in shaping the country’s economy, particularly for the manufacturing sector. It is one of the major reasons behind the development and growth of the Tamil Nadu state. It brings myriads of business and investment opportunities to the people. Its major industries include businesses that manufacture runners, vehicles, fertilizers as well as refinery and electric equipment. Further, the major exports from this port include cotton textiles, iron ore, and leather. Wheat, raw cotton, steel, iron, and machinery are some of the popular imports entering the Port of Chennai.
The Port of Chennai is one of the most important ports of Asia mainly because of the advanced infrastructure, efficiency, and connectivity it provides to the neighboring countries.
