Vessel Berthing |link| - Citpl

Chettinad International Coal Terminal Private Limited (CITPL) operates a state-of-the-art, high-efficiency coal handling facility at the Kamarajar Port (formerly Ennore Port), located on the Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu, India. CITPL is specifically designed to handle large dry bulk carriers (primarily Capesize and Panamax vessels) transporting coal for thermal power generation and industrial use. The vessel berthing process at CITPL is a critical logistical operation, defined by precision, safety, and rapid turnaround to minimize demurrage and optimize supply chain continuity.

As the first mooring lines—heavy hawsers thick as a man's arm—snaked their way from the ship to the bollards on the jetty, the character of the operation changed. It was no longer the domain of the mariner; it was now the domain of the terminal.

BANG.

CITPL enforces strict safeguards throughout the berthing window:

It had been a flawless evolution, despite the storm. A story of steel, sweat, and software. The MV Viswas Raji had delivered her cargo, and the heartbeat of the economy continued, pulsing through the gantries of CITPL. citpl vessel berthing

This was the start of the "liner operations." The ship had a turnaround time of 24 hours. In that time, nearly 2,000 containers had to be offloaded and another 1,500 loaded. It was a ballet of logistics. The Terminal Operating System (TOS) inside the control tower, manned by shift managers, tracked every box.

Ten hours into the operation, the weather turned. The sky darkened prematurely, and a squall hit the coast. Rain lashed against the bridge windows. Winds gusted up to 35 knots. As the first mooring lines—heavy hawsers thick as

Captain Menon lowered his binoculars. "Priority one means everyone is watching, gentlemen. The terminal operators, the logistics chain, the customs house. If we miss this tide, we miss the window, and the supply chain stops. Let’s bring her in steady."

The CITPL terminal features a dedicated, single-berth jetty with a specialized ship-loader gantry. The berthing procedure follows these steps: "Priority one means everyone is watching

By 1700 hours, the squall passed as quickly as it had arrived, leaving the air washed clean and the sea calmer. The all-clear signal was given.