APM Terminals Pipavav, NYK Auto commence operations of RoRo facility for auto exports

APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd) and NYK Auto Logistics (India) today said they had commenced roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) operations at Pipavav Port, with the despatch of Ford Motors first lot of its new Ford Figo built in its Sanand, Gujarat, for exports.

The first RoRo vessel, MV Grand Dahlia, berthed at Pipavav on 26 August and loaded 1,300 vehicles and departed this morning.

Strategically located in Gujarat, approximately 160 nautical miles north west from JNPT, Mumbai, Pipavav Port is the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) Port in India and is one of western India's fastest growing gateway ports with excellent connectivity to the rich hinterlands in the north and west regions of India.

APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd) is part of an international network operated by APM Terminals BV an independent business unit within the Maersk Group.

APM Terminals Pipavav currently handles container, bulk and liquid cargo, with automotive cargo now being the fourth business unit.

Keld Pedersen, managing director of APM Terminals Pipavav, said, ''The port is equipped with a stock yard for around 4,500 to 5000 cars along with a Pre Delivery Inspection (PDI) facility. The facility is also equipped with a mobilisation yard of 150 cars with a capacity to accommodate approximately 500 cars on the quay.''

The company expects the auto segment to add to both the top line and bottom line and help the business grow in the long run.

''With Gujarat becoming the hub for automobile manufacturing, we hope to utilise our automobile yard facility at Pipavav Port with annual designed capacity of 250,000 vehicles at the earliest,''said Hiroyuki Okamoto, corporate officer of NYK Automotive Transportation Headquarters.

Naotaka Ishizawa, managing director of NYK Auto Logistics (India) added, ''The RoRo facility at Pipavav Port has been developed with most modern facilities and well trained staffs. NYK Group along with Pipapav Port will offer best logistic support to make India an export hub for automobiles''.

APM Terminals lifts global trade with a global terminal network of 20,300 professionals and 186 port and inland services operations in 63 countries around the globe. The company designs, builds and operates ports and inland services.

NYK Group, Tokyo, is a global leader in Automotive Ocean transportation and Logistics. NYK Auto Logistics (India) Pvt. Ltd is a subsidiary of NYK Group.  The company provides complete finished vehicles outbound logistics services to customers in Indian market. The scope of services includes Plant Stockyard Management, RoRo terminal services, PDI & Vehicle Processing, Inland Road transportation and other customized value added services to meet the customer requirements.