Bhubaneswar, March 27 (IANS): Odisha's Dhamra port has added another feather to its cap by becoming the first among Indian ports to berth a parcel size vessel of 2,07,785 DWT (dead weight tonnage), the port said Thursday.
The vessel Macau Mineral was carrying 1,94,073 tonnes of coal from Richards Bay in South Africa.
The South Korean-made ship is 312 metres long and 50 metres wide. It was built in 1989.
The vessel berthed at the port jetty around March 26 and will depart after unloading the cargo March 29.
It has 21 Chinese crew members headed by Captain Wang Yongan. The vessel is registered in Panama.
Dhamra port in the coastal district of Bhadrak, about 170 km from Bhubaneswar, is a 50-50 joint-venture between Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Tata Steel. It commenced commercial operation in May 2011.
The port has a channel 18 km long and 18 metres deep. So far, the port has berthed 424 cargo ships.