Gujarat Pipavav Port Delays Liquid Jetty Commissioning to March-April 2027

Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd (GPPL) has announced a delay in the commissioning of its upcoming three-million-tonne liquid jetty. The project, which was previously slated for a December 2026 completion, has been pushed back by three to four months. It is now expected to be commissioned by the end of March or early April 2027, according to the company, which cited overall construction delays.

Once operational, the liquid jetty is expected to handle key commodities such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ammonia, and petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) products. Company representatives noted that LPG and ammonia will serve as the primary drivers of growth for this segment alongside POL products.

While the liquid jetty timeline has been revised, GPPL is observing positive momentum in other segments. The company has raised its container traffic growth outlook to 8-10 percent for the financial year 2027, an upward revision from its earlier projection of 4-5 percent. This adjustment follows an increase in trans-shipment cargo connected to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

During the September quarter, container volumes registered an 18 percent growth, driven largely by trans-shipment traffic. Management anticipates this trend to persist for at least the next 9 to 12 months, which is expected to support container throughput at the port. Furthermore, GPPL projects container volumes to reach approximately 850,000 TEUs in the financial year 2028.

The roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) automobile handling segment is also projected to see expansion. GPPL expects a 20 percent increase in automobile handling volumes, reaching around 260,000 to 270,000 cars in the financial year 2027. An additional growth of 10 to 15 percent is anticipated in the following financial year, which would take annual volumes past 300,000 cars. Managing Director Girish Aggarwal noted that an increasing number of electric vehicles are being exported through the port.

In contrast to the container and automobile segments, bulk cargo volumes are projected to remain relatively stable at around 2.9 million tonnes during the current financial year, with limited growth expected at approximately two percent.

"Infrastructure projects frequently encounter construction timeline adjustments, and Gujarat Pipavav Port's decision to push its liquid jetty commissioning to early 2027 reflects realistic project execution constraints. However, it is encouraging to see that operational growth in alternative segments like container traffic and automobile handling is compensating for this temporary delay. Businesses must maintain this kind of agility, leveraging unexpected market shifts—such as trans-shipment trends—to stabilize revenue streams while core infrastructure projects catch up." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes