APM Terminals Pipavav (GPPL – Gujarat Pipavav Port) has started handling very large gas carriers (VLGC) with the recent arrival of MT Jag Viraat, a vessel owned by Great Eastern Shipping. This ship, MT Jag Viraat, carried cargo from Ruwais, ADNOC Refinery Jetty, and unloaded 21,907 metric tons of goods at Port Pipavav for three major public sector undertakings (PSUs) – Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
This event signifies the establishment of an important gateway for importing LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), especially with the shift towards using VLGC vessels for All-India LPG imports instead of the previous medium gas carriers. The demand for LPG is rising as more Indian households are adopting LPG as their primary cooking fuel due to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna. Launched by the Indian Government in 2016, this program aims to replace traditional cooking fuels like wood, coal, and cow dung with safer and cleaner LPG cylinders.
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The significance of this achievement coincides with a $90 million investment announcement for a new liquid berth. This investment aims to expand the port’s capacity for handling liquid bulk from 2 million metric tons (MMT) to 5.2 MMT.
By 2025, a new dedicated VLGC-compliant LPG berth is expected to be completed, alongside the expansion of the LPG Terminal capacity, in collaboration with Aegis Vopak Terminal Limited, the terminal partner.
The addition of the VLGC-compliant berth will allow larger vessels with bigger cargo loads to dock, benefiting from economies of scale.
With the terminal’s expanded capacity, it will be able to manage up to 3.20 million metric tons, further enhancing APM Terminals Pipavav’s capabilities in handling LPG imports.
