Underlining Kochi port?s emerging status as a cement hub, the first vessel with a consignment of 7,612 tonnes of cement has arrived at the Zuari Cement bagging terminal.
Cochin Port Trust sources said that two full-fledged cement terminals were in operation at the port and the third one is operational now with the arrival of the cement vessel.
The two terminals in operation belong to Ambuja and UltraTech Cements. Malabar Cements is in negotiation with the Cochin Port Trust for obtaining six acres for a cement bagging and clinker import facilities. Penna Cements has begun construction work on its cement bagging facility. The three terminals now in operation are capable of scaling up their throughput to five lakh tonnes of cement each year, Port Trust sources said.
According to figures from the port authority, cement throughput has gone up to more than seven lakh tonnes during the last financial year. Cement throughput during 2013-14 was more than six lakh tonnes. The increase is substantial given that the traffic in the commodity was just 2.59 lakh tonnes during the financial year 2010-11.