Graana Port Qasim, Karachi: A Complete Guide
On June 29, 1973, a law passed by the parliament led to the development of Port Qasim. It is situated in the Indus delta region, in the Phitti Creek of Karachi. With the Iron Ore and Coal Berth (IOCB) specifically commissioned for processing bulk imports of raw materials for Pakistan Steel Mill, the port began operations in 1980.
Currently, the port has 18 berths, 15 of which are in the commercial sector, with an annual handling capacity of 89 million tons. Modern terminals in the port handle all commodities, including LNG, general cargo, containers, LNG, minerals oils, edible oils, coal, rice, wheat, and cement. It serves as Pakistan’s sole LNG port and energy hub.
In the Container Port Performance Index 2021 report, Port Qasim ranked 81st in administrative method. It is ranked 75th in statistical approach among 370 ports worldwide. Along with other factors, the swift turnaround of ships, especially container ships since they are on liner services with berthing window slots, should credit for this excellent global status.
Size of Port Qasim, Karachi
This 50-square-kilometer port is currently operating under the direction of the Port Qasim Authority (PQA). It is situated in the Indus Delta Region and has a 1000-acre footprint that connects to an 11,000-acre industrial estate. It is a short distance away from the Korangi Industrial region, which is on the outskirts of the city.
The largest industrial zone in Pakistan is located in Qasim Port Karachi, covering a distance of 15474 acres. It operates more than 400 industrial and commercial divisions. In its industrial zones, about 3000 MW of electricity produc. One of Pakistan’s greatest economic contributors, Port Qasim handles 51% of the country’s marine traffic. It has a remarkable growth rate of 5% across all areas of port operations. Over Rs. 8 billion in taxes have been paid by the port in 2019–20, while over Rs. 800 billion in duties collect from port terminals.
The main reason why many people mistakenly think that Port Karachi and Port Qasim are the same is that they are so close to one another and near the Indus River.
The harbour separate into three zones for the convenience of administrative tasks and commercial management:
- Eastern Industrial Zone (EIZ) – 8,300 acres
- North Western Industrial Zone (NWIZ) – 2,920 acres
- South Western Industrial Zone (SWIZ) – 1,000 acres
Currently, the port has 18 berths that provide around 89 million tonnes of annual cargo (both government and privately owned).
Facilities Offered by Port Qasim Karachi
Aside from the raw materials required for making steel, the import of oils, rice, cement, fertilisers, containers, mineral oils, coal, LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) etc. manage at the port with cutting-edge equipment.
The fact that this port is the only one in Pakistan to handle LNG makes it particularly noteworthy because it functions as the nation’s main energy hub.
There are several facilities to ease the tasks of material processing and import and export administration. These include:
- Single-berth oil terminal under Fotco Oil Terminal
- 4-berth multipurpose terminal under PQA
- 5-berth container terminal under Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT)
- Single-berth liquid chemical terminal under Engro Vopak Ltd.
Future expansionary projects for Port Qasim Karachi are currently under development, which will provide improved facilities for extra liquid cargo terminals, oil terminals, steel jetties, and container terminals.
In addition, there are proposals to build a GasPort LNG Floating Terminal, a Granada LNG Unit, and various coal and clinker processing units.
Capacity of Port Qasim
- A 45 km-long navigational channel that can carry boats up to the 85,000 DWT class if the permitted parameters follow
- A dedicated Iron Ore & Coal Berth for the sole use of Pakistan Steel Mills is available for the import of raw materials, which can accommodate vessels up to 70,000 DWT if the dimensions are followed
- Tankers up to 80,000 DWT are provided state-of-the-art facilities by a specialised oil terminal, subject to allowable dimensions
- Four multipurpose berths with an 800-metre linear length, each with a 10,000 square metre covered transit shed, extend port capabilities up to 45,000 DWT class vessels, subject to permitted dimensions
- A dedicated two-berth container terminal that provides berthing space for ships of the 50,000 DWT class, subject to allowable dimensions
- Complete line of floating vessels and cargo handling tools
- 11,800 square metres of storage space each in two separate term storage areas
- National Highway access road and rail network connectivity
- Infrastructure facilities and utilities
- 11,000 acres of land above the high water mark in the Western and Eastern zones for industrial development
