Ports

Local Ports

Port Qasim Authority

Port Qasim is managed by Port Qasim Authority. It is Pakistan’s second busiest port, handling about 40% of the nation’s cargo (about 25 million tonnes per annum).

It is located in an old channel of the Indus River at a distance of 35 kilometres east of Karachi city centre.

Functions

PQA is primarily a service oriented organization. The port provides shore based facilities and services to international shipping lines and other concerned agencies in the form of adequate water depth in the channel, berths/terminals, cargo handling equipment, godowns, storage areas and providing facilities for safe day and night transit of vessels.

Approach

Day and night access to port through a 45 km long channel marked by channel buoys up to 11 meter draught vessels. The present facilities at this Port have been established both by the public and private sector. These are:

The Iron Ore and Coal berth commissioned in 1980 is a specialized berth for handling Iron Ore, Coal & Manganese for Pakistan Steel Mills. The berth 279 meters in length is equipped with two grab unloaders with a handling capacity of 700 tonnes per hour each. Currently vessels of 55,000 tonnes payload are being handled here. The berth is connected to the Pakistan Steel Stockyard through a 4.5-kilometer long conveyer.

The design capacity of the berth stands as 3.36 million tons per annum. Since the start of port operations in 1980 a cargo volume of 48.5 million tonnes carried in 1124 ships has been handled here.

The multipurpose Terminal presently comprises four multi-purpose berths in a linear length of 800 meters each divided into 200 meters length. Berth no 1 has a design capacity of around 2.5 million tonnes per annum. Vessels over 25000 DWT carrying edible oil, chemicals and molasses are being handled at this berth. Berths (2 to 4), with design capacity of 5 to 6 million tonnes, are capable to accommodate vessels drawing more than 35000 DWT. All bulk, break bulk and general cargo is handled at these berths. Two transit sheds each measuring 10,000 sq. meters are also located at berths 2 and 4. Berths(2-4) has a vast back up area measuring 400 x 600 meters area. The entire range of cargo handling from opening of hatch of the ship to delivery of the consignment for imports and vice versa is carried out by Cargo Handling Companies (CHC) from the private sector, under one window operation.

The Oil terminal is a state of the art environmental friendly marine oil terminal. It was the first terminal to be developed by the private sector on BOO basis at a cost of US $ 87 million. The terminal is operational since April 1995. It is capable of handling 9 million tonnes of furnace oil per annum with a growth potential to handle more than 27 million tonnes with three additional berths. The facility mainly comprises a jetty capable of handling upto 75000 DWT vessels, product pipelines, loading arms and a 4 km long trestle that connects the jetty with the shore. The terminal has the capability to berth tankers with 63,000 tons ship-load. Till September 30 , over 29 million tonnes of furnace oil has been handled here. It also commenced handling white oil from January 2001 through a separate 30 inch diameter pipeline. Additionally, British Petroleum crude has also been handled here. 77 acres of land has been earmarked here for POL Storage Tank Farm.

The terminal is designed to cater for four additional berths and four product pipelines to meet the current and future petroleum handling requirements of the country.

Out of the seven multipurpose berths 5,6 &7 have been converted into a 2 berths Qasim International Container Terminal. QICT is Pakistan’s first dedicated international container terminal established by the private sector on BOO basis. The terminal was constructed at a capital cost of US $35 million. It is operational since August 1997 and encompasses a total area of 240,000 sq. meters. It has a design capacity of 0.36 millions TEUs / annum and is capable of handling vessels up to 272 meters in length. The quay wall is 600 meters long and the 11 meters draught is sufficient to allow ships up to 45,000 DWT to dock alongside. It is equipped with rail mounted ship to shore gantry cranes and back up infrastructure. The entire operation at this terminal is managed by a computer system by “Navis” incorporating a radio link between the yard vehicles and the planning centre.

An integrated bulk liquid chemical import /export and storage terminal operational was constructed as a joint venture of Engro Chemical of Pakistan Limited and Royal Vopak of the Netherlands on BOT basis in 1998. It has a design capacity of 4 million tonnes per annum. The jetty located in the middle of the Port Qasim channel is designed to handle ships up to 75000 DWT and is linked to a 2 acre tank farm via a 1.1 km long trestle. Offloading of liquid chemical products is carried out through dedicated marine loading arms or hoses and is transferred via pipelines from the jetty to storage on the mainland. Currently there are 19 storage tanks for storage of various chemicals.

Liquid Cargo Terminal (LCT) has been established at Port Qasim on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis by Felda Westbury Qasim (Pvt) Limited (FWQ). FWQ is a Joint Venture between FELDA of Malaysia and WESTBURY Group of Pakistan. LCT is the first state-of-the-art dedicated Liquid Cargo Jetty in Private Sector, capable of berthing vessels (Tankers) up to 35,000 DWT carrying liquid cargoes of Edible Oils, Molasses and its derivatives, and other permissible products. Soft operations commenced on 30th March 2009 and the Terminal was formally inaugurated by the President of Pakistan on 14th August 2009. LCT has a designed capacity of 4 million tonnes per annum. The jetty can handle ships of up to 185m LOA and 33m Beam. The facility comprises of a jetty, interchanges and pipeline systems. LCT is connected to all Storage Terminals in Edible Oil / Molasses area through its two interchange systems. LCT maintains international standards of Safety, Security, Health and Environment in its operations. With the construction of LCT at Port Qasim, Pakistan has taken a big jump towards efficient, systematic and hygienic handling of liquid cargo.

A specialized Grain & Fertilizer Terminal developed by M/s Fauji Akbar Portia at a cost of US$ 135 million with handling capacity of over 4 million tonnes per annum has been formally inaugurated by Prime Minister of Pakistan on 26th October 2010. This terminal was created by reclaiming 22 acres of water and has a 300 meter long jetty.

Implementation Agreement was signed on 17th August 2006 with QICT for establishment of 2nd container terminal on BOT basis, having capacity of 14 million tonnes per annuam at a estimated cost of US $ 211 millions. The terminal is designed to accomodate 6,000 TEUs container vessels. The commercial operation of the project has been started in January, 2011.

A railway station connects the port with the national Railway network with capability of loading 4 train loads at a time is located behind the back-up area of the Multi-Purpose berths.

In addition a service jetty, floating crafts, transit sheds, Cargo Handling Equipment, Buoys, Transit Lights, Beacons and a light house.

Two covered transit shed of 10,000 sq. m each are available at berths 2 & 4 at Marginal Wharf. Two Term Storage Areas (open) with 1,18,000 sq. meter each are also available at the Port.

Available at the Port.

Available at the Port.

Available in private sector.

Medical Center with first aid facilities and two well equipped ambulances , is available round the clock in port area. Adequate medical and hospitalization facilities are available in the city.

Jinnah International Airport at a distance of 30 km from Port Complex.

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