The second container terminal comprising two berths at the Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone in Kutch district of Gujarat became operational with the arrival of the first container vessel, MV. Jolly Platino, voyage 142 of Messina Lines last week, the company said in a release here today.

This terminal is capable of handling about one and a quarter million twenty-feet container per annum and it will be mainly catering to the needs of the northern hinterland of India. The MPSEZ container terminal has a deep water draft; that can handle large container vessels, popularly known as super post panamax that are being built. Some of the salient features of the terminal are a quay length of 618meters, four rail-mounted quay cranes, 12 rubber tyred gantry crane, four reach stackers, round the clock berthing and un-berthing coupled with modern tug boats, The terminal operations are backed with NAVIS Terminal Operating system.

MPSEZ is one of the first port-based multi-product SEZ in the country to have seaport with an additional container terminal, railhead and airstrip.

MPSEZ is developing and managing one of the leading non-captive private sector ports in India, based on volume of cargo, along with a multi-product SEZ.

Mundra port commenced trial operations in 1998 and commercial operations in October 2001. Cargo volume for the 2006-07 fiscal year was approximately 19.8 million tonnes.