PSA Gwadar International Terminals in Pakistan received its first commercial cargo vessel on March 15, 2008, as it prepares to begin servicing general cargo and container vessels at its deepwater berths. The 40,000-tonne Pos Glory, carrying a cargo of wheat, was the biggest bulk vessel to date to berth at a Pakistani port.

PSA Gwadar gears up for business

“The arrival of the Pos Glory marks a significant milestone in the Port’s successful start-up after months of preparation, training and transfer of port operating knowledge and technical expertise from PSA to a team of dedicated local management and staff. We are now ready to service both general cargo and container vessels,” said David Yang, CEO for Middle East and South Asia Region, PSA International Pte Ltd.

Since taking over Gwadar International Terminals, a PSA management and engineering team has been preparing for start-up, improving processes and installing new equipment, including two new container quayside gantry cranes that were commissioned in March. Importers and exporters currently shipping goods through ports in Karachi have expressed strong interest in using Gwadar, and container liners are reportedly making changes to their routing to call at the port.

PSA Gwadar is located in the province of Baluchistan on the southwest coast of Pakistan, just outside the Straits of Hormuz and near key shipping routes through the Persian Gulf. It is well connected to the hinterlands of Pakistan and Central Asia by a network of roads and highways and, according to PSA, has the potential to become a gateway for the region. It is capable of handling conventional and containerised cargo and its multi-purpose berth, with a depth of 14.5 m alongside, can accommodate post-Panamax vessels.