MULT Jetty To Be Opened in August; Will Help in Achieving Self-sufficiency in LPG Distribution

The Multi-User Liquid Terminal (MULT) jetty at Puthuvype in Kochi has been completed, and it will be opened after dredging works are completed in August, said Cochin Port Trust chairwoman M Beena. In a press conference, she stated that the new jetty will assist the state to achieve self-sufficiency in LPG distribution.

This would lessen the backlog in the delivery of LPG refill cylinders and prevent road accidents. 

The MULT jetty has been constructed at an expense of `180 crore and it can handle ships with a deadweight tonnage of 10,000 to 80,000. Ships having a total length of 230 meters and a draft up to 13 meters may dock here. The major dredging project to raise the depth of the jetty basin is in progress and the work with an estimated cost of Rs.72.68 crore is expected to be completed by August 2022.    

"The commissioning of MULT jetty which is primarily intended for LPG import by Indian Oil Corporation, would diminish Mangaluru port reliance on LPG supplies." This will help to avoid the transportation of bulk LPG on the road and the resulting road accidents. The 4.1 million metric tonnes per year capacity jetty will also be used to handle petroleum and lubricating items such as bunker fuels. Once the Jetty is operational, it will be possible to handle various petroleum products," she stated. 

The reconstructed South Coal Berth, according to the chairperson, would be ready for use in April 2022.

It was commissioned in 1953 and was used to handle ammonia supplied by FACT Ltd. The berth was in disrepair and was rebuilt at a cost of Rs.19.19 crore, with the Union government contributing 50% and FACT and Port Trust funding 25% each. 

The new jetty is 110 meters long and can accommodate vessels with a deadweight tonnage of 35,000 tonnes, a length of 183 meters, and a draft of 9.14 meters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the project's foundation stone on February 14, 2021. According to her, the berth is primarily intended for handling ammonia and other cargo for FACT, but it will also be used for handling chemicals and liquid cargo for other users. The berth will be able to handle 1.3 million metric tonnes each year (MMTPA). The FACT needs 5 lakh million tonnes of ammonia per year for its new fertilizer factory, which is now under construction. Within the next two years, the new plant will require an additional 1.25 lakh MTPA of ammonia. 

Self-Sufficiency in LPG Distribution 

M Beena, the chairperson of the Cochin Port Trust, stated that the new jetty will enable the state to attain self-sufficiency in LPG distribution. This would lessen the backlog in the supply of LPG refill cylinders and reduce road accidents. 

According to her, the berth is primarily intended for handling ammonia and other cargo for FACT, but it will also be used for handling chemicals and liquid cargo for other users.