PIBTL reports no congestion for coal imports

Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Ltd (PIBTL) has informed the government that its terminal at Port Qasim in Karachi is working smoothly without any congestion and delay in the handling of imported coal for cement and other industries.

The terminal operator has refuted the claims of terminal users that may point to the opposite. Therefore, PIBTL has sought to clarify several misrepresentations regarding its operation.

As a result of the pollution caused by coal handling at Karachi Port (KPT) and based on various public interest litigations pending in the court, the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan shifted coal handling to PIBTL's terminal at Port Qasim and stopped the coal handling at Karachi Port Trust (KPT) in 2018.
PIBTL can also completely turn-around a coal vessel carrying 60,000t of coal within two days, which translates to significant freight savings to the industry.

No shortage of energy can be caused by PIBTL since there are only three coal-fired power projects in Pakistan and they handle nearly 12Mt of coal at their own purpose-built jetties. PIBTL’s berths are available to all and the vessel schedule is updated on the terminal’s website weeks in advance, but mismanagement from some importers, whether deliberate or not, may cause gaps in capacity utilisation, according to PIBTL.

In addition, PIBTL states that many importers take 10-15 days to move their consignments from the port but instead report cargo delays.