The Kochi port under the Cochin Port Authority (CPA) performed considerably well during the financial year 2023-24 registering a record cargo throughput of 36.32 million metric tonnes (Mt), which is also the highest cargo traffic recorded at the port at a modest growth of 3.01% over the previous financial year (2022-23).
The cargo profile of the port continued to remain dominated by liquid bulk cargo and containers at 68% and 28% share respectively of the total cargo handled at the port. Dry bulk (3%) and break bulk cargo (1%) constituted the remaining portion of the cargo movement, said a communication from the port.
The annual traffic was led by an impressive growth of 8.57% in liquid bulk cargo (24.83 million Mt), primarily driven by crude, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
A record 17.20 million Mt crude and 5.86 million Mt petroleum products were handled at the port during the year. The port also handled 1.13 million Mt of LNG, which is 18.58% higher than the previous year.
The port has also started handling Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) at the multi-user liquid terminal, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in January, 2024. The year also saw the port widening its cargo profile with the handling of 1,33,534 Mt of LPG. The port handled 3,44,001 Mt of bunkers during the fiscal. Thus the CPA has made a name as a reliable and prominent energy port offering round the year uninterrupted services to all liquid; bulk and tankers carrying crude; Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants (POL); LPG and LNG; and bunker, claimed the release.
Container traffic
Container traffic registered an all-time high. The International Container transshipment Terminal (ICTT) under DP World handled 7,54,237 TEUs during the financial year. It is a record handling surpassing the previous best of 7,35,577 TEUs handled in 2021-22. In the previous year, ICTT had handled 6,95,230 TEUs.
Out of 7,54,237 TEUs, 3,83,232 TUEs were exim boxes (51%) and 3,71,005 TEUs coastal traffic (49%). The transhipment volumes stood at 1,05,405 TEUs.
ICTT also handled 75,370 TEUs in March 2024, which is the highest monthly volume, surpassing the previous highest of 75,141 TEUs handled in February 2024.