<h3 data-path-to-node="0">Strengthening dry-bulk handling capacity along South India’s eastern maritime corridor, <b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="109">JSW Infrastructure</b> is on track to commission its <b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="158">₹600 crore ($72 million)</b> fully mechanized dry bulk terminal at <b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="221">V.O. Chidambaranar Port (VOC Port)</b> in Tuticorin by the fourth quarter (Q4) of the current fiscal year.</h3><p data-path-to-node="6">Developed under a 30-year Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession, the upgraded <b data-path-to-node="6" data-index-in-node="130">North Cargo Berth-III (NCB-III)</b> will introduce <b data-path-to-node="6" data-index-in-node="177">7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA)</b> of automated cargo capacity dedicated to handling coal, limestone, gypsum, and other dry-bulk industrial raw materials.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="8"><b data-path-to-node="8" data-index-in-node="0">High-Speed Mechanization to Cut Vessel Dwell Times and Coastal Logistics Costs</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="9">The transition from manual grab-and-truck operations to a fully integrated conveyor network marks a major efficiency milestone for VOC Port:</p><ul data-path-to-node="10"><li><p data-path-to-node="10,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">High-Capacity Mechanical Handling:</b> The modernized terminal is equipped with continuous ship unloaders, automated stacker-reclaimers, and covered overland conveyor belts, boosting environmental compliance while achieving peak unloading rates exceeding <b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="251">2,000 tonnes per hour</b>.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Deep-Draft Berth Capabilities:</b> NCB-III features a <b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="50">350-meter quay line</b> with an operational draft designed to accommodate fully laden <b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="132">Panamax and Post-Panamax bulk carriers</b>, eliminating the need for offshore barging or lighterage.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Direct Hinterland Synergy:</b> The facility will serve power plants, cement factories, and industrial clusters across Southern Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala, providing faster vessel turnarounds and lowering overall demurrage costs for bulk importers.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Expanding JSW Infra’s Port Network:</b> The Tuticorin concession forms part of JSW Infrastructure’s broader strategic vision to expand its total operational handling capacity across India’s eastern and western coasts toward 300 MTPA.</p></li></ul>