Vessels carrying first steel coils shipment of POSCO – ISDC calls at Dighi Port

POSCO ISDC (India Steel Distribution Centre), the logistics arm of POSCO Group companies has succeeded with their first trial shipment of 5000 million tonnes (mt) of POSCO Maharashtra Steels Private Limited at Dighi Port (Promoted by M/s Balaji Infra Projects Limited) in Raigad District of Maharashtra.

The inaugural call was made by a 35,000 Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) vessel MV CH Bella on 1st October 2012. The vessel agents were M/s Samsara Shipping Private Limited and the stevedores were M/s Hind Port and Handling Services Private Limited Custom clearance was carried out by M/s DNR Impex (Aqua Transport Agency). These coils will be transported from the POSCO – ISDC warehouse located in Dighi Port to their factory at Ville Bagad, MIDC by M/s Ideal Movers Private.

Vessel MV CH BELLA sailed from Po-Hang Port on 11th September and after calling Mumbai Port, arrived at Dighi Port on 1st October 2012 to discharge steel coils. These coils have been produced in the POSCO plant at Po-Hang and Kwang-Yang for POSCO-Maharashtra.

POSCO ISDC having its head office in Pune and branch offices at Dighi Port, Mumbai, Kandla and Delhi is mainly involved in managing logistics and Shipping solutions for supply of Steel material to POSCO Group of Companies namely POSCO Maharashtra Steel Private Limited, POSCO IPPC, POSCO IDPC and other POSCO related companies on both inward and outward fronts for Export and Import as well as domestic movements. All daily activities are monitored by highly experienced and expert team based at Pune.

As per Mr. Young IL Kim (Managing Director – POSCO ISDC) the company has ambitious plans to import 2 Million tonnes of Steel Coils during next couple of years on the West Coast of India through Dighi Port.

Dighi Port is ideally situated to handle shipments for POSCO as it is all weather, deep draft port offering direct berthing and is at a distance of 80 kilometer (km) from the POSCO Maharashtra Plant.

POSCO ISDC are at an advantage due to the proximity of Dighi Port to the POSCO Plant as the overall logistics cost reduces by 2-3 % per tonnes which will make Coils more competitive in the market for local consumption.