Introduction:

 Port of Karachi is located in Karachi, Sindh on the Arabian Sea.

 It is one of South Asia’s largest and busiest deep-water Seaports.
 Handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum).
 The port opened in 1857.
 Operated by Karachi Port Trust.
 It is Natural type of Harbor.
 The size of Harbor is 32km (20miles).
 Available berths are 30 & wharfs are 8.
 Annual cargo tonnage = 65.25 million metric tons & annual container volume=1.563
million TEUs.

Port and Harbor Facilities:

 The port comprises a deep natural harbor with an 11 kilometer long approach channel
which provides safe navigation for vessels up to 75,000 tones deadweight (DWT).
 The main areas of port activity are two wharves; East Wharf with seventeen
vessel berths and West Wharf with thirteen vessel berths.
 The maximum depth alongside the berths is currently 11.3 meters.
 The two wharves extend in opposite directions along the upper harbor – the East Wharf
northeast from Kiamari Island and the West Wharf southwest from Saddar town. The
two wharves each include a container terminals:

1). Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) opened in 1996 at West Wharf berths
28-30. It has a handling capacity of 300,000 TEUs per annum and handles container ships up
to 11-metre draught.

2). Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBT) in 2002 at East Wharf berths 6-9. It has a
handling capacity of 350,000 TEUs per annum and handles container ships up to 11.5-metre
draught.

Capacity of the Port and its Features:

 Annual Cargo tonnage = 65.25 million metric tons.

 Annual Container volume = 1.563 million TEUs.
 Provides safe navigation for vessels up to 75,000 tones deadweight (DWT).
 An increase the handling capacity of KICT from 300,000 TEUs to 400,000 TEUs per
annum.
 Installation of modern facilities at PICT (completed in April 2004).
 The channel is being dredged initially to 13.5 meters deep to cater for 12-metre draught
vessels at all tides.

Marine Structures (break water) & water depth (draft & navigational

channel):

 Keeping in view the significance of the project, the design parameters have
been set giving due consideration to the wave conditions at the entrance to
the Port of Karachi which are dominated by south westerly (180°to 270°)
offshore and waves propagating from the Indian Ocean
  Karachi Port is a deep natural port with an 11.5 km-long navigable channel.

 Berth 13 in the Port of Karachi handles deep-draft vessels, bulk and general
cargo, and geared containers.

 It can accommodate vessels to 250 meters (820.2 feet) with

maximum draft of 11.6 meters (38.1 feet). Berths 18 through 30 in
the Port of Karachi are located at the West Wharf.

Seaport Management Aspect:

KPT aims at providing modern and user-friendly facilities to port users for
import and export of all types of cargo. Port development plans have
conventionally been focused on national trade requirements.
 Karachi Port is a deep natural port with an 11.5 km-long navigable
channel and a 12.2 meter-deep approach channel.
 It provides round the clock safe navigation to tankers, modern
container vessels, bulk carriers, and general cargo ships up to 75,000
DWT.
 The port has 30 dry cargo and 3 liquid cargo handling berths including
a privately operated modern container terminal – the Karachi
International Container Terminal (KICT).
 The port is handling about 26 million tons of cargo per annum which
includes 14 million tons of liquid and 12 million tons of dry cargo and
650,000 TEUs.

Operational facilities:

 24 hours
 Operated by Karachi port trust
 On 09th Feb 10, 2010 an advance container scanner system was installed and made
operational at Karachi Port.
 This Eagle Gantry System uses high-energy X-ray imaging technology for detecting
smuggled weapons and drugs.
 The construction of this facility has significantly increased the capacity of the Port for
effective control on the movement of contra band items.