BHEL Tiruchi derives logistics advantage from Karaikal Port

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Tiruchi, has been able to save substantially on freight and wharf charges by exporting equipment through the Karaikal Port, which became operational in 2009. The port is closer at a distance of 132 km compared to the Chennai Port, 350 km away. BHEL determined the capability of the new-generation green field port to handle sensitive cargo, before starting exports. A private port run by Karaikal Port Private Limited (KPPL), it first despatched BHEL’s shipment of boiler components for two 135-MW Circulating Fluidised Bed Combustion boilers to New Caledonia, a French colony near Australia, during January 2010. BHEL despatched 14,000 tonnes of components for each of the two boilers to New Caledonia. In the process, the KPPL gained the distinction of being the only private-run port to export cargo belonging to public sector undertakings. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has also been exporting wheat through the port. more at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/bhel-tiruchi-derives-logistics-advantage-from-karaikal-port/article4688883.ece