Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Plans New Container and Coal Berths to Decongest Kolkata, Boost Capacity

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) is planning new container and coal berths as part of a broader strategy to decongest city traffic and expand cargo handling capacity on the eastern seaboard. The move is aligned with central government approvals for berth reconstruction, mechanisation and barge-based terminals, aimed at shifting a larger share of cargo away from inner-city road corridors.

The planned container berth is expected to handle growing box volumes currently routed through the Kolkata Dock System, leveraging earlier decisions to modernise berths 7 and 8 at Netaji Subhash Dock and develop an outer container terminal. On the dry bulk side, a new coal-focused berth is proposed to serve power and steel plants in West Bengal and neighbouring states, complementing SMPK’s expansion plans at Haldia Dock Complex from 50 MMT to 75 MMT via PPP projects.

These developments build on the government’s prior approval for a barge terminal at Balagarh island, around 85 km upstream of Kolkata, designed to handle 2.7 million tonnes of cargo including 150,000 TEUs and bulk commodities like coal, pulses and fertilisers. By pushing more container and bulk flows onto waterways and modernised berths outside the city core, SMPK aims to cut truck congestion, improve vessel turnaround, and position itself as a more efficient multimodal gateway for eastern India and the landlocked markets it serves.