Karachi Port dredging expansion to lift capacity

KARACHI: A dredging project at Karachi Port is set to expand vessel capacity and improve cargo handling, as terminal operators move to upgrade infrastructure to meet growing trade demand, a statement said on Tuesday.

Karachi Gateway Terminal Ltd (KGTL) and Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose Ltd (KGTML), part of Noatum Ports, said ongoing works would deepen berths and navigation channels, allowing larger ships to dock at the port.

The project will enable the terminal to handle vessels of up to 350 metres in length, compared with the current 305 metres, while increasing permissible draft from 13 metres to 15.5 metres.

Container handling capacity at KGTL is expected to rise to one million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually from around 750,000 TEUs, according to the operators.At the adjacent multipurpose terminal, which handles general and bulk cargo, dredging is expected to increase bulk vessel capacity to 120,000 tonnes from 60,000 tonnes.

The expansion is aimed at improving turnaround times and accommodating higher cargo volumes, as Pakistan seeks to strengthen its logistics and trade infrastructure.Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, who visited the site, said modernising port infrastructure was critical to supporting trade and economic activity.Officials from the Karachi Port Trust and terminal operators briefed stakeholders on the progress of the project during the visit.