Govt to Build New Green Ship Recycling Yard at Port Qasim

Pakistan will establish its first Green Ship Repair and Recycling Yard at Port Qasim and invest Rs. 12 billion to modernize the Gaddani Ship Recycling Yard, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced on Thursday. The minister said the Port Qasim project will be developed under the Sea to Steel Integrated Maritime Industrial Complex. He said the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) fleet has grown from 10 to 12 ships, with three more to join within two months. Tenders for 12 additional vessels are already underway. The Maritime Affairs Ministry has also granted the first-ever license to a private company to operate ferry services. Also, the Pakistan Marine Academy will be upgraded into a full-fledged Maritime University under a new Maritime Education Endowment Fund. The ministry said the current government aims to develop three new deep-sea ports, expand the national shipping fleet, build AI-enabled maritime industrial complexes, produce “Made-in-Pakistan” ships, and achieve 100 percent green digital ports with multimodal connectivity. He added that the ministry is also implementing a $100 billion blue economy plan to make Pakistan a global maritime hub by 2047.