The Mechanised Coal Handling Plant (MCHP) of the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) loaded 1,40,022 metric tonnes of coal on 10 October 2026. The coal was loaded onto two vessels, M.V. APJ Indrani and M.V. Ripley Pinnacle. This was the plant’s highest-ever single-day loading total.
Coal Loading Record
The new record exceeded the previous single-day benchmark of 1,37,500 metric tonnes, set on 29 May 2022, by 2,522 metric tonnes. A metric tonne, also called a tonne, is equal to 1,000 kilograms. The record total represents the combined coal cargo loaded onto the two vessels during the day. On 11 October 2026, PPA Chairperson Susanta Kumar Purohit, an officer of the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE), congratulated MCHP workers, officers and personnel. The loading operation took place at the port’s mechanised coal-handling facility.
Paradip Port and Port Administration
Paradip Port is located in Odisha on India’s eastern coast, beside the Bay of Bengal. It is a major port administered by the Paradip Port Authority. The authority functions under the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021, which provides the statutory framework for the governance of India’s major ports. Ports connect maritime shipping with inland transport networks and handle cargo such as coal, petroleum products and other bulk commodities. Coal is a dry bulk cargo, generally transported in large quantities by specialised vessels. A mechanised coal terminal uses equipment such as conveyors and shiploaders to transfer coal between storage areas and vessels.
Mechanised Coal Handling
A single-day loading figure measures the cargo loaded during a 24-hour period. The MCHP record is based on the combined loading of coal onto M.V. APJ Indrani and M.V. Ripley Pinnacle. The previous benchmark was also a single-day coal-loading record at the plant.
Important Facts for Exams
- Paradip Port is situated in Odisha on the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
- The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021, provides the legal framework for the administration of India’s major ports.
- One metric tonne is equal to 1,000 kilograms.
- Coal is classified as dry bulk cargo in maritime transport.
The new MCHP record is 2,522 metric tonnes higher than the previous record set in 2022. The two vessels named in the loading record were M.V. APJ Indrani and M.V. Ripley Pinnacle.
