Information about Chennai Port (Madras) In Detail
Chennai Port, also called Madras Port, ranks second on the list of the most significant ports in India in terms of size. It is located on the Southeast coast of India in the Bay of Bengal. In terms of age, it is the third oldest port in India, having started in the colonial era in 1881. Furthermore, it is an ISO 14001:2004 and ISPS-certified port, and it is now a central line port with direct connectivity to more than 50 ports around the world. Additionally, it is an artificial and all-purpose port with wet docks. Originally, it was a travel port, but it later became a hub for containerized imports and exports.
Since its establishment, the port has contributed profusely to the growth of not just Tamil Nadu, but also the entire South India. Today, it serves the Indian economy by facilitating global trade. This blog, in turn, decodes information about Chennai Port (Madras) in detail. Currently, the port serves as a centre for containers and car cargo and is located in eastern India. Initially, it handled a small volume of cargo, primarily for the import of motors and oil. However, in recent years, it has been extensively used to export ores, groundnuts, granite stone, and more. In fact, the container traffic surpassed 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2011.
- Container Terminal: Containerized cargo is handled at this terminal in Chennai port, which manages a significant portion of India’s containerized cargo. Moreover, these terminals use the latest technology, such as cranes, which ensures the easy transfer of goods from the mode of transport to the ship. For example, some of the terminal ports at Chennai Port include Citpl New Port, CCTL Old Port, Navayuga Container Terminal Pvt Ltd, Navayuga Container Yard, and Concor Inland Container Depot.
- Oil and gas terminals—Likewise these are specifically designed to handle sensitive liquid and gaseous containers, including receiving, storing, and distributing them. Examples are Bharathi Dock I, Bharathi Dock III, Dr Ambedkar dock, Jawaharlal Nehru terminal, and South Quay terminal.
- Bulk Cargo Terminal: Likewise this kind of terminal’s layout ensures the handling of goods in bulk or profound quantities of unpacked goods, for instance, grains, minerals, coal etc. It is a must for such terminals to have equipment for loading, storing and unloading. Therefore, this port also uses equipment like conveyor belts, machinery, and cranes to load and unload goods quickly. Additionally, the port has storage facilities as well Likewise to manage inventory. The Ennore container terminal and Kattupalli port are the two bulk cargo terminals on the Chennai Port.
- Capacity: The Port can easily handle almost lakhs of cargo yearly. Likewise the expansion project continues, moreover its capacity will likely increase further in the coming years.
The contribution is also evident in World War II, as the port supported supplies of arms and ammunition for Allied forces. Likewise, Chennai Port initially served voyagers for travel, but it became a container port only after independence. The authorities shifted the entrance of the port from east to northeast to safeguard it from natural disasters. In 1996, Chennai was named Madras; consequently, the port also underwent a name change. Even today, Indians casually address it as Madras port. Likewise currently, Chennai holds second place on India’s list of largest seaports.
Other Notable Shipping Lines
3. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) One of the world’s leading shipping companies, operating primarily from Chennai port to the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and other regions, was founded in Italy in 1970. Known as the Australian Express Service (AES), it is recognized for its global reach. However, the main port predominantly transits from Chennai to Mumbai, Antwerp, Genoa, etc.
4. Hapag-Lloyd- It links Chennai port to various ports in other countries, such as Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. This Germany-based shipping line owns a fleet of numerous high-technology container ships that transit between different destinations worldwide.
5. Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation—Yang Ming is a Taiwan-based shipping company that offers a container shipping line from Chennai port to ports in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
