Karachi Port
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Karachi Port (Urdu: کراچی بندرگاہ Bandar gāh Karāchī) is located between the Karachi towns of Kiamari and Saddar, Pakistan, close to major shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. The administration of the port is carried out by the Karachi Port Trust (KPT).
Contents
Coal handling
The port contains the Keamari coal terminal. About 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes of coal is brought in daily at the port from different countries, including Australia, Indonesia, and Africa, largely meant for use in cement factories and power plants. In 2014 it was reported that Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) thought the KPT was operating the facility in violation of law as the organization had never sought approval for the project from the provincial department, despite operating for eleven years.[1]
In May 2015 SEPA approved two separate Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) reports on the coal terminal. One of the EIAs was submitted by the KPT and the other by the Awan Trading Company Private Limited, a major coal importer at the port. One EIA report found particulate matter (PM2.5), a major air pollutant in the coal dust, was in higher concentration in at least seven selected sites. The approval documents of SEPA made no mention of any penalty against the KPT for violating environmental laws and starting the project without seeking approval from the department.[2]
In June 2018, Pakistan’s Supreme Court banned the unloading of thermal coal at Karachi port after the end of July. The legal challenge argued that the coal terminal operation in Karachi city violated local health and safety regulations. As a result of the ruling all coal imports into Pakistan will have to be routed to the Pakistan International Bulk Terminal at Port Qasim, about 40 kilometres from the city centre. It is estimated it costs up to US$10 per tonne more to handle coal imported via Port Qasim than in Karachi.[3]
Project Details
- Operator: Karachi Port Trust
- Location: Karachi, Pakistan
- Coal Capacity (Million tonnes per annum): 3.5
- Status: Operating (coal handling banned by law effective August 1, 2018)
- Type: Imports
- Source of Coal: Australia, Indonesia, and Africa
Articles and Resources
Sources
- ↑ Faiza Ilyas, "KPT’s coal handling wreaks havoc on public health, environment," Dawn, June 29, 2014
- ↑ Faiza Ilyas, "Sepa approval of KPT’s coal handling operation fails to address public concerns," Dawn, May 25, 2015
- ↑ "Pakistan orders all coal imports to discharge at Port Qasim from Aug," Platts, 22 Jun 2018
Related SourceWatch articles
External resources
External Articles
Wikipedia also has an article on Karachi Port. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the GFDL.
