The Cochin Port Trust is the port authority for the Port of Cochin. The port authority is an autonomous body governed by a Board of Trustees representing the central government that manages the port. Port of Cochin managers gives cost-effective, reliable services to its customers by providing modern infrastructure and high-quality service-oriented support. The Port of Cochin manages its assets for the economic benefit of the nation and the community. It is tasked with being a catalyst for regional economic development while also ensuring environmentally sound practices.

In short, the Port of Cochin strives to serve the country by providing a public service, facilitating economic development, running a profitable business, and conserving the environment. Its immediate goals include strengthening the port's competitive position and maximizing the use of space and infrastructure.

In the 2007-2008 shipping season, the Port of Cochin handled a total of 15.7 million tons of cargo, including 3.2 million tons of containerized cargo in 254 thousand TEUs. The dominant cargo was liquid bulk of 11.6 million tons, including 11.3 million tons of POL products. The total 855 thousand tons of dry bulk cargoes handled in the Port of Cochin included 246 thousand tons of coal, 182 thousand tons of rock phosphate, and lesser amounts of shredded scrap, sulfur, zinc concentrate, murate of potash, and other dry bulk cargoes. Breakbulk cargoes of 139 thousand tons included soda ash, timber logs, oil cake, and other breakbulk cargoes.

The Port of Cochin is an all-weather natural port located near the busiest sea routes between the Arabian Sea, Singapore, Europe, and the Far East. Port of Cochin facilities are located on Willingdon Island on India's southwestern coast. Access to the Port of Cochin harbor is through a 10.5 thousand meter long, 175 meter wide, 13.8 meter deep outer approach channel marked by five sets buoys.

The Port of Cochin inner harbor has two navigation channels. The Ernakulam Channel is about five kilometers long with a minimum width of 200 meters, a 500-meter turning basin, and depths from 9.75 to 13.2 meters. The Port of Cochin's Mattancherry Channel is 2.6 kilometers long, about 180 meters wide, and 9.75 meters deep. Pilots are required for ships and deep-drafted vessels.

The Port of Cochin has a dry dock facility available for hire. It can accommodate vessels to 58 meters long and 10.5 meters wide with draft from 3.75 to 4.2 meters. The facilities include two 5-ton capacity cranes and fire lines and shore power.

The Port of Cochin's Ernakulam Wharf offers six berths with a total length of almost 1.8 thousand meter, three of which serve the container terminal. Two of the berths handle general cargo, and one is a fertilizer berth. The Ernakulam Channel also contains three oil berths. The Ernakulam Wharf in the Port of Cochin offers seven sheds covering a total area of 17 thousand square meters.

The Port of Cochin container berths are each 250 meters long. Container Berths Q8 and Q9 can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 12.5 meters up to 35 thousand DWT. The modern container terminal is operated by DP World. Container Berth Q7 is 250 meters long and can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 10.5 meters and 20 thousand DWT. The Port of Cochin's Container Freight Station has a shed covering ten thousand square meters. The Container Freight Station has an open storage area of 20 thousand square meters and a fully-mechanized stuffing/de-stuffing facility. The container stack yard contains 1300 ground slots and includes reefer points.

Berths Q5 and Q6 in the Port of Cochin, handling dry cargo and carbon black feed stock, are 250 meters long and can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 10 meters and 20 thousand DWT. The Ernakulam Wharf fertilizer Berth Q10 is 207 meters long and can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 10.7 meters and 60 thousand DWT.

The Port of Cochin's oil berths in the Ernakulam Channel include the NTB, COT, and SPM berths. The NTB berth is 213 meters long with maximum draft of 9.1 meters and 30 thousand DWT. The COT berth is 250 meters long with maximum draft of 12.5 meters and 115 thousand DWT. The SPM berth is 370 meters long with maximum draft of 22.5 meters and 300 thousand DWT. The Port of Cochin is equipped with pipelines and flexible hoses for handling liquid cargoes including cashew nut shell liquid, chemicals, crude oil, and petroleum products.

Totaling 1010 meters in length, the Mattancherry Wharf contains four berths for general cargo, one boat-train pier, and two jetties for various cargoes. The Port of Cochin's Mattancherry Wharf offers ten sheds covering a total area of 31 thousand square meters.

Berths Q1 and Q4 in the Port of Cochin handle dry bulk cargoes and are 180 meters long and can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 9.1 meters and 16 thousand DWT. Handling liquid bulk cargoes, the SCB Berth is 170 meters long and can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 9.1 meters and 15 thousand DWT. The NCB Berth, handling both dry and liquid bulk cargoes, is 170 meters long and can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 9.1 meters and 15 thousand DWT.

Also handling both dry and liquid bulk cargoes in the Port of Cochin, the BTP Berth is 200 meters long and can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 10 meters and 35 thousand DWT. The STB Berth handles petroleum, oil, and lubricants. It is 170 meters long and can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 9.1 meters and 20 thousand DWT. The No. 11 Steam Mooring Berth on the Port of Cochin's Mattancherry Channel is 120 meters long and can accommodate vessels with maximum draft of 7 meters and 10 thousand DWT.

The Port of Cochin has begun planning a project to build and develop a new 6.7-hectare International Cruise Terminal and public plaza at Willingdon Island to meet the increasing volume of foreign visitors to the Port of Cochin and Kerala State. The new terminal will have a dedicated quay of 220 meters with alongside depth of 10 meters. In addition to world-class cruise vessel reception facilities, it will include a modern shopping mall with office tower and a luxury hotel.

Also planned for the future, Petronet LNG Limited will establish a liquefied natural gas re-gasification terminal in the Port of Cochin. The terminal will have capacity to handle 2.5 million tons per year with expansions to 5 million tons in the future. The new facility will be located in the Port of Cochin's Puthuvypeen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) area and will have 23 hectares for marine facilities and 33 hectares for the terminal and storage facilities. The terminal will have capacity to serve vessels carrying up to 216 thousand cubic meters of cargo. The project should be completed in 2011.

The Port of Cochin has also started development of a multi-user terminal in the Puthuvypeen SEZ to handle imports of bunker fuel, liquefied petroleum gas, and crude oil. The port will create the basic infrastructure and begin the bunkering operations. The proposed 26-hectare facility will include a marine terminal capable of handling vessels to 150 thousand DWT, and it will contain a barge berth for loading bunkers. It will also include storage facilities and a pipeline network. The facility is scheduled to open in 2011.

As the principal developer for the Port of Cochin, the Cochin Port Trust has embarked on initiatives to establish India's first port-based Special Economic Zone that will contain the projects described above. The project will also include crude oil handling facilities, an international container transshipment terminal, a bunkering terminal, and a distribution park with free trade warehousing.

Today, the Port of Cochin is creating the infrastructure and amenities for the SEZ. There will actually be two zones, one in Vallarpadam (115.3 hectares) and one in Puthuvypeen (285.8 hectares). The Port of Cochin's new international container terminal will be located in the Vallarpadam SEZ. The new state-of-the-art facility will have capacity to handle about three million TEUs of cargo. It will have a 1800-meter-long berth with permissible draught of 14.5 meters that can accommodate vessels up to 8000 TEU capacity.

The Puthuvypeen SEZ in the Port of Cochin will contain facilities for unloading and storing crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas. It will also contain the bunkering and multi-user liquid terminals and the distribution park with Free Trade Warehousing. Currently, the projects is scheduled for completion by 2012.

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