It provides cost effective and efficient loading of coal for its rail-cum-sea transportation to the thermal stations in South India where an unloading port at Ennore in Tamil Nadu has already been dedicated to the Nation. This system envisages the unloading of coal from a moving train to be loaded to the Ship waiting at the berth. It provides for ample flexibility in case there is no ship at the berth whereby cargo can be diverted to a stockyard from where it can be reclaimed and loaded to a ship, when required.

        In addition to the two berths which are a part of the Mechanised Coal Handling System, two other general cargo berths on the western side of the port were commissioned on 11.9.2001. Thus, while the total number of berths has gone up from 9 to 13, Paradip Port has added a capacity of 23 million tonnes to the existing 14 million tonnes enhancing the entire capacity of the Port to 37 million tonnes.

        This information was given in the Lok Sabha to day by Shri Shripad Y. Naik, Minister of State for Shipping in a written reply to a question by Shri K.P.Singh Deo.