The loading operations at Kanika Sands near Dhamra have commenced recently. The place is a deep drafted location in the Bay of Bengal that is within the jurisdiction of the Paradip Port Trust (PPT).
In the first shipment operations, 72,500 MT non -coking coal of Adani Enterprises carried by MV Sapphire was loaded into MV Vighnraj at Kanika Sands after the Customs from Paradip and Kolkata gave the clearance for the operation.
After discharge of cargo from the mother vessel to the daughter vessel, the cargo was carried to NTPC power plant at Farakka. As the arrival draft of the mother vessel is more than the permissible draft of Haldia and Kolkata, the ship had to discharge the cargo at Kanika Sands as discharging at any other Indian Ports will be costly for transporting from that port to Farakka.
The loader MV Vighnraj owned by Sula Shipping and logistics Private limited is a large vessel with cranes and other equipment that can be sailed and anchored at a desired location in the deep sea. As per the tripartite agreement among Sula Shipping, Inland Waterways Authority of India, NTPC and Jindal ITF, about 3 MT coal per year will be imported through Kanika Sands. The operations are to be carried out during fair weather period. While the Kolkata Port Trust will be the beneficiary of cargo output handed at Kanika Sands, Paradip Port Trust will be getting Rs10 per ton royalty from the cargo shipment service providers.