Pakistan terminal begins commercial operations

Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Ltd (PIBT) has started commercial operations from the country's first and only common-user coal, cement and clinker terminal at Port Qasim, near Karachi.

In May the company announced that the terminal commenced hot commissioning and achieved a significant milestone by handling the first coal cargo vessel of 41,000t.

PIBT has invested around US$285m to establish the state-of-the-art mechanised, coal, clinker and cement bulk cargo terminal. Under a 30-year BOT agreement with Port Qasim Authority, PIBT has built its own jetty which is equipped with two coal ship unloading cranes and one cement/clinker loading crane. The terminal is capable of handling 12Mta of cargo and has a storage yard spread on 62 acres.