Port Qasim plans to deepen channel for energy cargos

KARACHI: The Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has planned improvement and deepening of the alternative channel to accommodate upcoming oil, gas and bulk terminals, PQA Chairman Asad Chandna said.

“We are conducting studies at the moment, and you will start seeing progress in six months,” he said while talking to journalists on Tuesday.

He said the economy was expanding and demand was growing, and several terminals of oil, gas and bulk cargo were in the pipeline. Therefore, PQA decided to improve and fully activate the alternate channel.

“The project is only in the first phase. After the studies are completed there will be financial feasibility etc, only then we will be able to provide more details in this regard,” he added.

Chandna said PQA was gearing up and the main channel would also be deepened, which has a depth of 13 meters. PQA chief also talked about the green port initiative, and said the establishments in the jurisdiction of the authority had been advised to undertake tree plantation in their surroundings.

Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBT), the only terminal handling commercial coal imports, was also setting up an LPG handling terminal along with LPG storage facility at Port Qasim.

"The signing of supplementary implementation agreement is awaited, and we hope to get it done soon," PIBT CEO Shariq Siddiqui said.

It was known that JS Petroleum was partnering PIBT in the $30 million project. The storage unit to be built by JS Petroleum would have a capacity of 24,000 tons.

Siddiqui informed that PIBT would fix unloading arms at their existing coal terminal, while a pipeline would be installed to the storage facility nearby.

PIBT has built capacity for handling up to 12 million tons of coal and four million tons of cement and clinker annually, which can together be further enhanced up to 20 million tons/year. PIBT CEO informed that the terminal had undertaken a massive mangrove plantation campaign in the surroundings areas.