Sharjah-based group keen on developing India’s Azhikkal port

Universal Lubricants, based in Sharjah, U.A.E., has set aside Rs150 crore (US$ 27.7 million) for the development of the Azhikkal Port in Kannur, a seaside city in the northern part of Kerala state in India. The project will enable the port to handle cargo such as lubricants, base oils and plywood. The company has already sent its investment proposals to the state government, but is awaiting discussion on the plan’s details.
Universal Lubricants has manufacturing facilities and storage terminals at major ports in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Gulf region. The state government has already taken a few steps to develop the port, following the recommendations made by consultants who also suggested that the Azhikkal port could act as a potential feeder port to the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal in Cochin, India, once it is developed optimally. Currently, the port has a 225-meter wharf and truck-mounted cranes. (October 6, 2012)