DP World to boost India investment

Global port operator DP World has reiterated its commitment to continue investing in India’s rapidly expanding marine terminal sector. The Dubai-based group operates terminals at Kochi, Chennai, Vishakapatnam, Mumbai and Mundra in India.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World and DP World, accompanied by Mohammed Sharaf, Chief Executive Officer, DP World, last week met Indian President Pratibha Patil, who was on a four-day official visit to the UAE.

Their talks focused on the historic and friendly relations between the two countries and the important role DP World has played in facilitating trade through the five marine terminals it operates across India.

Bin Sulayem briefed Patil on the new deep water International Container Transshipment Terminal in Vallarpadam in the southern state of Kerala, scheduled to open by the end of the year.

He said India has always been an important commercial partner of the UAE and a preferred destination for DP World’s investments in port infrastructure. “Our upcoming development in Vallarpadam in southern India is an example of this,” Bin Sulayem added.

The meeting with the Indian leader was attended by top officials of DP World and senior aides accompanying her. President Patil commended the warm and friendly relations between India and the UAE.

Sharaf said DP World’s investments in India had been one of its major success stories.

“Our developments and expansion in five major ports on India’s east and west coasts follow a unique pattern of integrated management that promote the port business and bring direct benefits to the local communities.”

“Vallarpadam will be the largest single operator container terminal in India and the first in the country to operate in a special economic zone; the new terminal will make Kochi a key centre in the shipping world, reducing India’s dependence on foreign ports to handle transshipment,” he added.

DP World opens first on-dock rail at Korean facility

DP World, one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world, has opened the first on-dock rail at its Korean facility, Pusan Newport Company (PNC).

The PNC facility is expected to service all existing terminals at Newport and the nearby freight stations and free zone.

The facility, which covers an area of more than 60,000 square metres, comprises two operational units. Each unit consists of four 600 metre sidings and adjacent stacking areas and is serviced by two rail mounted gantries (RMG).

“The PNC rail operation supports the shift from road to rail greatly encouraged by the Korean Government, which has announced significant incentives to industry to move cargo from road to rail as part of a Green Transport policy, and we are confident the industry will be very supportive of the PNC facility,” said Jong-ki Kim, President of PNC.

“The ability to seamlessly transition containers between modes offers customers an opportunity to block-train cargo from Busan to the major cargo generation centres including Seoul,” added Peter Wong, DP World’s senior VP and managing director for the Asia Pacific region.

The port area is supported by an extensive rail marshalling area at nearby Newport Station in Noksan. With 32 holding tracks, the facility has a large surge capacity that can reduce overall transit times to and from the port.

The Korean Government has completed a dedicated freight line from PNC and Noksan to Samrangjin Station, connecting the port to the main rail trunk routes between Seoul and Busan, which will reduce overall transit times compared to the current shared passenger/freight lines servicing the older, city-based container terminals.