Bhubaneswar, 7 September: Paradip Port Authority (PPA) has berthed MV Mineral Kwangyang, its first-ever Capesize vessel with a 16.5-metre draft, at Western Dock-1, marking a milestone in the port’s deep-draft vessel handling capability.
The vessel measures 292 metres in length and 45 metres in breadth and is carrying 152,702 tonnes of coking coal. The coal cargo originated from Hay Point, Australia.
The vessel arrived at Paradip on September 5. PPA’s official traffic report records its arrival at 18:24 and lists its draft at 16.50 metres, with 152,702 tonnes of coking coal for JSOL/JSPL. The port’s berthing movement record shows the vessel at Western Dock on September 6.
UNI described MV Mineral Kwangyang as the deepest-draft Capesize vessel handled by Paradip Port so far. The news agency said handling a vessel of this size demonstrates the port’s growing ability to accommodate larger bulk carriers and is expected to improve cargo-handling efficiency and reduce vessel turnaround time for major industrial users.
The milestone was achieved through coordinated efforts of Paradip Port Authority and Jindal Paradip Port Ltd (JPPL). PPA Chairperson Susanta Kumar Purohit congratulated the teams of PPA and JPPL for successfully handling the deep-draft vessel.
Paradip Port’s daily traffic report also shows that the port handled 448,801 tonnes of cargo on September 5, taking cumulative cargo traffic during September to 1,936,080 tonnes. Cumulative traffic in 2026-27 stood at 66,391,298 tonnes as of September 5.
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