NMP scales new heights as first mainline container vessel makes port of call

Mangaluru: New Mangalore Port Authority achieved yet another milestone on Sunday when the first mainline container vessel MSC Erminia made a port call. MSC Erminia is one of the largest container vessels in the world and its arrival at New Mangaluru Port has heralded a new era. The ship has a length of 276.5 meters and a draft of 12.8 meters and was berthed at Jetty No. 14 west.

The vessel is carrying 1771 TEUs and 1265 units of import containers. The vessel was greeted by traditional water cannons and container discharging was flagged off by the Chairman of New Mangaluru Port Authority, Dr Venkat Ramana Akkaraju in presence of Heads of the Department of the port and officials of the JSW (Jindal South West) one of the port users. Captain of the ship R D Pais and his deputy Captain Rajnikant piloted the vessel alongside. The ship is likely to turn around on Monday or Tuesday. Expressing happiness over the arrival of the first mainline container vessel Dr Venkat Ramana "We have scaled up our on-shore infrastructure to the world standards and the arrival of the mainline container vessel operator signals that Mangaluru, Karnataka and the hinterland of the port now has a facility the Port that will facilitate higher import-export activities which is also a sign of NMP heralding a higher phase of growth".

New Mangaluru Port had been getting mainline vessels in the petroleum sector often to offload LPG and crude for its MRPL jetty. Under the Central government's Gati Shakti programme the Port has a few more developmental projects under its belt.