Hot commissioning begins PIBTL handles first vessel with 41,000 tons of coal

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBTL), the country’s first mechanised, coal, clinker and cement bulk cargo terminal at Port Qasim, has commenced its hot commissioning to become fully operational and achieved a significant milestone by handling the first coal cargo vessel of 41,000 tons to call the terminal.

The ship, MV African Finfoot, transported the coal cargo of 41,510 metric tons, belonging to Awan Trading (Pvt) Ltd, at PIBTL at Port Qasim this weekend, a statement said.

PIBTL is a public listed company quoted on the Pakistan Stock Exchange and is sponsored by the Marine Group of Companies and also partly financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group.  The company has invested around $285 million in the establishment of the county’s first and only common user coal, cement and clinker handling terminal at Port Qasim.

Pakistan International Bulk Terminal has built its own jetty and is equipped with two coal ship unloading cranes and one cement / clinker loading crane, the statement said.

PIBTL is capable of handling 12 million tons of cargo per annum and has a storage yard spread over 62 acres. The second coal vessel, MV Iris Oldendorff, carrying 39,550 metric tons of coal, has also docked at PIBTL and the cargo handling activities have already been commenced. A coal cargo ship with similar tonnage of cargo currently takes around seven days at KPT, while the same cargo can be handled within two days at PIBTL due to the modern and mechanised handling system, the statement added.

A fully operational PIBTL will bring effectiveness and efficiencies for the port sector and for the trade and industry to match Pakistan’s port throughputs with the international standards of excellence.

PIBTL will not only be easing off the existing port congestions at KPT and PQA, but also mitigate the environmental and efficiency concerns, it added.