APM Terminals (APMT) Pipavav (GPPL – Gujarat Pipavav Port) has launched Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) operations earlier this month with the berthing of MT Jag Viraat.
MT Jag Viraat, owned by Great Eastern Shipping company, is a 230 metres long VLGC vessel with a 37-metre beam, an arrival draft of 8.2 metres and a displacement of 47,260 metric tonnes (MT).
The MT Jag Viraat loaded cargo from Ruwais, ADNOC Refinery Jetty, and discharged a 21,907-MT parcel at APMT Pipavav for three Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) – Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
According to APMT, with a significant change in All-India liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports to VLGC boats from older Medium Gas Carrier (MGC) ships, APMT Pipavav’s VLGC handling capabilities become vital, allowing Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to maximise their LPG imports effectively and securely.
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The addition of the VLGC compliant berth facility is expected to aid in bringing in large boats with greater package sizes in order to achieve economies of scale.
Furthermore, the port’s dedicated freight corridor (DFC) certified LPG rakes could aid in the secure distribution of LPG cargo to the distant hinterland via environmentally beneficial train connectivity.
GPPL has already announced the construction of a dedicated VLGC compliant LPG Berth in March 2023, with completion due in 2025, as well as the extension of LPG Terminal capacity by its terminal partner, Aegis Vopak Terminal Limited.
In February 2023, APMT Pipavav partnered with Contrans Logistic Private to develop a state-of-the-art warehousing facility.
Two months later, APMT Pipavav announced that it will invest around $90 million in a new liquid berth.
