West Asia shipping disruption leaves Mormugao’s Delta berths largely idle

Cargo operations at berths 10 and 11 of Mormugao Port in Goa have remained largely idle for several months as the Iran–US conflict and disruption through the Strait of Hormuz interrupted shipments from West Asia, according to an account published on 8 November.

Delta Ports Mormugao Terminal Private Limited, which operates the two berths, has faced prolonged gaps in cargo arrivals. Vice-President Raghoba Kotkar said the disruption had affected shipping-related businesses as well as the availability and cost of industrial raw materials.

Which cargo flows have been affected?

The affected berths handle commodities including gypsum, bauxite, muriate of potash, urea and liquid ammonia. A substantial share of their cargo originates in West Asia, making regular vessel arrivals important to terminal activity.

Kotkar said fertiliser supply chains had come under pressure from delayed shipments and higher raw-material prices.

The account did not quantify lost throughput, cancelled vessel calls or revenue reductions. It concerns Delta’s two berths and does not establish that operations across Mormugao Port have stopped.

What is the scale of Delta’s Mormugao operation?

Delta began operating berths 10 and 11 in April 2025 under a 30-year public-private partnership concession with Mormugao Port Authority.

In a May 2026 assessment, Crisil Ratings said construction had been completed without cost overruns and estimated that the terminal processed approximately 2.5–3 million tonnes during financial year 2025–26. Cargo included iron ore, bauxite, fertilisers and steel products.

Crisil placed revenue for that year in the ₹80–85 crore range, with operating margins above 24%. These historical estimates provide context for the business before the latest account of prolonged disruption; they are not measures of its current performance.

Why do irregular arrivals affect terminal economics?

Crisil had identified geopolitical uncertainty and competition from other west-coast ports as risks to the operator. Its assessment noted that a decline in cargo volumes could weaken margins because significant costs remain fixed.

The rating agency also referred to concession-linked royalty obligations based on minimum cargo volumes. This makes sustained throughput important to the terminal’s financial performance, even when shipping disruptions originate outside the operator’s control.

The latest report illustrates that exposure, although no updated financial assessment was provided alongside the account of idle berth periods.

Delta’s published terminal profile lists six million tonnes of bulk-handling capacity, mobile harbour cranes, railway sidings and fertiliser-handling facilities. It also identifies approximately 116,000 square metres of open storage and 17,400 square metres of covered storage.

The operator’s service chain extends from vessel handling to warehousing and onward rail or road dispatch. Consequently, fewer cargo arrivals can affect several linked activities rather than berth utilisation alone.

Could easier Hormuz passage restore cargo flows?

Kotkar said reports of relaxed restrictions for Indian vessels had raised hopes that regular cargo movements would resume. However, the account did not identify a confirmed recovery schedule or returning shipment volumes.

Separately, a 4 November report attributed to a senior Iranian official said commercial ships from India, China, Iraq and Qatar had been exempted from Iranian transit restrictions. The statement came amid continuing concerns over attacks on vessels using the waterway.

For the Mormugao terminal, the practical measure of recovery will be the return of sustained vessel calls and cargo deliveries. Passage announcements alone do not establish that disrupted supply chains or normal berth activity have been restored.