Mormugao Port Trust has revealed that one of its terminals handled one of the world’s largest dedicated wood chip carriers. The Global Explorer, which was inbound from Richards Bay in South Africa, conveyed 44,126 tonnes of chips on behalf of West Coast Paper Mills.

The geared vessel is 210 metres in length and among the 24 largest wood chip carriers now in service. Once in port, discharge rates of around 11,000 tons per day were achieved.

West Coast Paper Mills was among India’s first companies to import wood chip, shipping its first consignment in through Mormugao in June 2013. The commodity is used at the company’s plants in Dandeli, the extracted wood pulp then being made into paper.

The company is expected to import around 550,000 tonnes of wood pulp by the end of the financial year.

BC