PIBTL board approves terminal capacity expansion, Pakistan

The board of directors of Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Ltd (PIBTL) on Wednesday approved the expansion of overall handling capacity at the terminal from 12Mta to 16Mta. PIBT is being set up as the country’s first terminal for handling coal, clinker and cement on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

The terminal will be situated at Port Qasim, 50km from Karachi on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

PIBT will be able to handle and deliver coal to cement and power companies by rail, road and sea networks. It is development is being viewed as an integral part of the coal supply chain for cement plants across the country.

In a statement to the Karachi Stock Exhange, the company said that that the total project cost is now estimated to be US$255m, with a projected debt-equity ratio of 49:51.