Dredging commences at Port Pipavav GPPL to spend Rs 260 cr

In a significant development to enhance accessibility to the port, Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited has commenced dredging of 14.5 meters draft with an investment of INR 260 crore (approximately EUR 40 million) at the port, located in the state of Gujarat, 153 nautical miles northwest of Mumbai ports.
The dredging activity, which started at 1930 hours on January 3, 2009, is expected to be completed before monsoon this year and will enable port Pipavav as a safe port for even larger container vessels. With the dredging, the acceptance draught will be increased from 12.5 meters to 14.5 meters.
Commenting on the dredging activity, Mr Prakash Tulsiani - Interim CEO, Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd said “With the deeper draft, Pipavav offers a safe port for the larger container vessels that cannot call at most of the other Ports in India. The port has road and rail connectivity, and the rail freight costs from our on-dock facility to the North Indian Inland Container Depots (ICDs) are lower and the current maximum capacity of the rail link is 22 trains per day in each direction”
“We will ensure minimal disruption to the vessel movements and cargo operations at the port during the activity”, added Mr. Tulsiani.
GPPL has entered into a contract with Zinkcon Marine (Singapore) Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Royal Boskalis Westminster to undertake capital dredging to increase the acceptance draught from 12.5m to 14.5m.
Speaking about the efforts to port’s continued development, Mr. Tulsiani said, “We are strongly committed to investment and growth in the port.
Port Pipavav is a preferred gateway to New Delhi and other markets in north-western India that allows shippers an alternative to the traditional routing via the congested infrastructure around Mumbai.


Famous Pacific Shipping builds stronger presence in Australia

Famous Pacific Shipping continues to build its presence in the important Australian market through a range of strategic investments and planning decisions that will see the global freight forwarding group ratchet up the pressure on the competition.

Not least among these developments has been a recent multi-million dollar investment by Famous Pacific Shipping (Vic) Pty Ltd in a new, high-spec warehouse and office building in Melbourne, accompanied by the launch of a road haulage subsidiary.

Famous Pacific Shipping (Vic) is celebrating the commissioning of a new, purpose-built warehouse and office complex that is truly 21st century in its facilities and engineering. As well as offering 484 sq m of office space, the 1,200 sq m of warehousing is kitted out with the latest in racking and storage equipment, enabling FPS to provide full logistics capabilities through Melbourne.

According to Sam Aparo, Director, Famous Pacific Shipping (Vic) Pty Ltd, the advantages of the facility do not stop on the inside. “The facility also offers 1,600 sq m of hard-standing outside which complements the assets on the inside.

“Our customers will also benefit from the fact that the facility is fully Australian Customs bonded, which allows importers to obtain first-rate storage as they bring goods to this dynamic and attractive market,” he says.

Famous Pacific Shipping (Vic) Pty Ltd has a full range of Australian regulatory licenses to offer services to the widest possible range of import and export activity. The company has Customs Bond 77G for sea and air cargo. The facility is a Quarantine Class 1.3 premises; and also an Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) Dairy Establishment. The site is also approved for FCL and LCL fumigation, a key requirement of entry for cargo into Australia.

If that was not enough of an increase in Famous Pacific Shipping (Vic)’s customer offering, the company has also hit the road with a new business arm.

“In Melbourne, we’ve launched FPS Transport as a separate haulage company to offer our own domestic collection and distribution service with a side-lift lorry and a taut-line for LCL shipments,” says Mr Aparo,

“The service will allow our customers to keep their transport in-house with us and not have to turn to third party trucking companies. This acts as a guarantee that the clients will enjoy the same high quality of FPS service on the road as they enjoy at the depot. Our intention is to ultimately have a fleet of vehicles. Launching this new service on the back of our innovative new warehousing facility guarantees its success. It is a neutral operation and serves other freight forwarders.”

In Australia, the Famous Pacific Shipping network includes freight hubs in Brisbane, Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney. The company’s service portfolio includes door-to-door sea and airfreight services, local transportation and distribution, Customs clearance, specialist automotive transportation, warehousing, project cargo management and logistics.