The Pakistan Steel Mill (PSM) is likely to suffer a loss of $0.2 million as demurrage for delay in unloading of coal ship at PSM Jetty at the Port Qasim. The shipping company will charge $50,000 for each day out of schedule.
A PS senior officer told APP here on Wednesday that out of two gantry cranes installed at the jetty, one was derailed on Monday for unknown reasons which delayed the process of unloading of a foreign ship the Silver-I, bringing 30,000 tonnes coal for the Pakistan Steel from New Castle Port, Australia.
The scheduled time for its offload was four days which ends on Wednesday, whereas it would take another four days to finish the job as only one crane was working.
He said this ship was given berth by ignoring another ship carrying iron ore from India simply to escape huge demurrage charges. The ship seeking berth at the jetty bears comparatively less demurrage, but if waited for long it would also cost high to the PSM.
He said the situation has become more complicated because the derailed crane has blocked the way for another crane to move on the other side of the ship. Thus, he said, when the load from one side is removed the ship is supposed to be dragged back and berthed otherwise for the purpose, which is not an easy job.
He said the PS chief has taken a serious note of this incident, and ordered an enquiry to determine the cause of derailing.
When PQA Director-General (tech) Ghulam Mursal was contacted to know about the possible role of the Authority to salvage the Pakistan Steel, he answered briefly: "All kind of help we are extending to the PS in this regard."
The PSM officer on the occasion pointed out that Steel Mill was facing problem of short draft at its Jetty to call large-size ships bringing raw materials for it.
The situation would worsen when the demand for raw materials would grow after the planned expansion of the Pakistan Steel.
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