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Santanu Sanyal

Eyeing port terminal projects in different parts of the country

A FILE photo of CMA CGM Force, a west-bounded French liner.

Kolkata , April 19

The CMA CGM Group, world's leading container operator, intends to extend its coverage in India by creating inland container depots and expanding outbound services to meet the growing demand and to strengthen its position in the country.

The group, according to a press release issued by the company recently, is also looking at several port terminal projects.

Passage through India

A beginning has already been made with regard to expanding outbound services from India. CMA CGM has decided to launch its own service linking the Far-East with West Asia via India.

The proposed weekly express service, to be named CIMEX (China India Middle East Express), will replace the present weekly Super Galex Service operated by the shipping line in partnership with CSVA Norasia, Gold Star and Hanjin connecting the Far-East with the Indian sub-continent and theWest Asia.

MacAndrews, the UK-based subsidiary of CMA CGM , has joined hands with Shipping Corporation of India to offer services from India to the US east coast ports. The other partners in the service are Zim and Emirates Shipping.

MacAndrews made its presence in the Indian market in 2004 and has since been concentrating on cargoes moving through theNhava Sheva International Container Terminal (NSICT). It now proposes to expand its operations to other ports.

Present in India for the past 15 years, the Group currently operates four direct services -- Epic, Indamex, Super Galex (to be replaced by CIMEX soon) and Swahili Express -- linking India with the rest of the world.

MacAndrews also participates in the services operated under Epic, Indamex and Swahili Express.

CMA CGM also offers feeder connection, USWC, from Tuticorin with transhipment at Port Kelang to provide onward mainline services to Australia, West Africa and Europe.

Partnerships

Right now, CMA CGM covers five ports in India , three sea ports of Mundra, NSICT and Tuticorin and two dry ports at Coimbatore and Bangalore, through three offices, including two in partnership with other companies, 22 agencies and 300 employees. MacAndrews has a representative at Ludhiana ICD too.

Terminal operations

The group is looking at the prospects of terminal operations in India. Since 2003, it has actively invested in terminal operations in the world's leading ports to ensure high-quality harbour services for its ships. Today, this strategy, it is felt, has become even more important with the arrivals of giant carriers. The terminal operation business is developed by two subsidiaries, namely, Terminal Link, which owns interests in terminal concessions, and Portsynergy, which is an equally-owned stevedoring joint venture with P&O Ports.

CMA CGM has terminal operations in countries such as Malta, France (La Havre, Marseilles-Fos), Morocco, North Eastern Europe (Zeebrugge and Antwerp) and Togo (Lome).

In Novemebr 2005, it acquired 20 per cent stake in new Mobile, Alabama container terminal in partnership with APM Terminals, a subsidiary of A.P. Moeller-Maersk Group. The construction is to begin shortly and scheduled to be completed in 2008 with a start up capacity of 8,00,000 TEUs.

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