<p data-path-to-node="5">Driving operational excellence across South India’s maritime gateways, the <b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="94">V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority</b> in Tuticorin has achieved a significant reduction in pre-berthing detention times, sharpening vessel dispatch speeds and overall port throughput efficiency.</p><p data-path-to-node="6">Through process optimization, enhanced marine services, and synchronized tug assistance, the port successfully reduced waiting durations for both port-account and non-port-account vessels. The performance improvement reinforces VOC Port's commitment to delivering cost-effective, world-class logistics services to the EXIM trade community.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="8"><b data-path-to-node="8" data-index-in-node="0">Substantial Reduction in Detention Hours, Marine Synergies, and Trade Gains</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="9">The operational performance data highlights major waiting-time reductions across vessel categories:</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">Port-Account Vessels:</b> Pre-berthing detention for port-account vessels dropped sharply from <b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="91">11.5 hours to 4.6 hours</b>, marking a <b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="126">60.3% improvement</b> compared to the corresponding period last year.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Non-Port-Account Vessels:</b> Pre-berthing waiting times for non-port-account vessels fell from <b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="92">14.9 hours to 8.6 hours</b>, achieving a <b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="129">41.9% reduction</b>.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Operational Process Optimization:</b> The gains were driven by round-the-clock pilotage, optimized anchorage allocation, faster customs/health clearances, and improved berth availability.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Reducing EXIM Costs:</b> Cutting pre-berthing detention directly reduces vessel charter costs, berth hire surcharges, and ship fuel consumption at anchorage, providing tangible savings for ocean carriers and cargo owners.</p></li></ul>