KOLKATA — Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, has achieved a major operational milestone with the resumption of coastal thermal coal handling at the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) after a nine-month interval.
The revival took place at HDC’s rejuvenated mechanical thermal coal handling facility located at berth number 3. Operations restarted with a vessel loading approximately 27,100 metric tonnes of thermal coal for the Andhra Pradesh Power Development Company Limited (APPDCL). This shipment represents APPDCL’s first coastal thermal coal movement through HDC’s mechanical coal handling plant in nearly nine months.
Following its departure from Haldia, the vessel will proceed to Paradip Port before delivering the cargo to its final destination at Krishnapatnam. Port officials stated that the resumption marks a key step in powering up coastal coal logistics through HDC while reinforcing its commitment to supporting the energy requirements of coastal power utilities. The rejuvenated facility is expected to boost cargo throughput, improve turnaround times, and solidify HDC’s position as a primary hub for coastal shipping and energy logistics along India’s Eastern Coast.
“The resumption of coastal thermal coal handling at Haldia Dock Complex’s Berth No. 3 is a testament to the dedication, engineering excellence, customer-centric approach and unwavering focus of our team at SMP Kolkata,” Rathendra Raman, chairperson, SMP Kolkata, stated.
(This report was drafted with the assistance of AI and verified by a human editor.)