An Overview of the Classification of Ports

Unlike some industrialised countries, which use a centralised port-planning framework, many other countries use a complicated and fragmented framework, also known as a federal structure framework, in which the state and municipal governments are responsible for the planning, development, and operation of landside maritime infrastructure.

A port is a site on the coast or coastline with one or more harbours where ships may land and people or commodities can be moved from one point to another. There are different types of ports such as

• Inland port
• Fishing port
• Dry port 
• Warm-water port
• Sea port
  • Cruise home port
  • Port of call
  • Cargo port

Inland Port

Any port located in a navigable lake, river, or canal that has access to the sea or ocean and can allow any ship or freight to sail from the ocean to the port to either load or unload its freight can be called an inland port.

With the help of a canal system, several of these inland ports can gain access to the sea. As a result, the ports established on interior rivers normally act like traditional seaports, but they are unable to accommodate deep-draft ship traffic.

Inland ports are typically maintained to meet the demands of cargo stocking and dispatching, but they are occasionally made open to passengers as well. Most of the inland ports are shallower than seaports; as a result, they do not allow deep docking but they do allow ferries to dock.

Some of the inland ports can also be specifically made for recreational purposes only. They allow small-sized vessels that can be used just for ferrying people and fishing activities.

Due to the development of inland ports, they are a hotspot for inland waterway trades. Primarily owing to their congestion-free space availability and adequate capacity, intermodal transportation and tanker ships are at their peak in the international market. For example, St. Lawrence Seaway, one of the busiest inland ports, allows ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean inland to the Great Lakes ports such as Duluth-Superior or Chicago. 

The following are some of the most important functions of inland ports:

• For freight distribution, there should be well-established distribution centres.
• Inland port depots should be established to ensure the safe storage of hulks and containers that can be used on several journeys.
• A well-established logistic department should be in place to handle all logistics activities as well as inventory records.
• There should be a proper warehouse to store cargo spare parts and other machinery used in cargo loading.

Fishing Port

Because they participate in fishing, fishing ports are primarily associated with the commercial sector. Fishing activities can also be considered a kind of recreation. A fishing port’s existence is solely dependent on the availability of fish in that area of the ocean. An inland port or a seaport can both be used as a fishing port.

Fishing ports are frequently marketable ports that are primarily used for recreational or aesthetic purposes. These ports allow their clients to fish in a controlled and disciplined manner. When properly operated, these ports provide the most money.

Furthermore, fishing ports require more maintenance than other ports. As a result, several are on the edge of closure. Because the fishing vessel’s draught is confined to a shallow depth, these ports have a lesser depth. A fishing port consists of the following elements:

• Hangers: They are special storage sections used primarily to keep goods and merchandise fresh. They also house the production as well as a storage space, where the necessary food and other supplies for the fish are produced and stored.
• Supply post: Supply post is an important feature of a fishing port because it is responsible for meeting the ship’s fuel and freshwater demands.
• Operation and administrative building: The main building where planning for the cruise and fishing are prepared as well as the administration of all legal and health issues is the Operation and Administration Building.
• Premises: This is the structure that contains the fish transactions, whether it is the purchase or selling of the fish.

Dry Ports

Inland terminals that can be connected to a seaport via road or rail transportation facilities are known as dry ports. They typically serve as multimodal logistics hubs. A dry port is beneficial for the import and export of freight, and it can help to alleviate the inevitable congestion at a neighbouring seaport. The functions of a dry port are quite similar to those of a seaport, with the exception that it is not located near the sea.

These are used primarily for cargo transhipment to inland destinations. It can be referred to as a transhipment port that is connected to a seaport and handles irregular operations such as billing and handling importer-exporter coordination.

Because these ports are utilised to connect importers and exporters from rural places who cannot access sea ports for trading or other purposes, they can be compared to the capillaries in our bodies, delivering blood where veins cannot reach. There are roughly 300 to 330 dry ports in India alone, with many more under construction.

A dry port has all of the essential equipment to manage continuous shipment clearance, such as cargo instrumentation, rail sidings, storage facilities, and even container yards.

Sea Ports

Seaports are the most prevalent types of ports used for commercial shipping activities around the world. These ports are built on the water and can accommodate both small and large vessels.

Innumerable seaports dot the coastline, all of which are busy with ongoing cargo operations. A cargo port or a cruise port are two different types of seaports. Some of the world’s oldest seaports are still used for fishing and leisure purposes.

Special warehouses are also built to store the shipment and keep the supply levels consistent. To pique visitors’ interest, additional facilities such as hotels, restaurants, port reception facilities, bathrooms, and cafes have been made available. Seaports are among the world’s largest and busiest ports.

The most prevalent sort of port is a seaport, which is an important aspect of maritime traffic. These are divided into three categories: cruise ports, port of call ports, and cargo ports. These are summarised as follows:

Cruise ports

It specialises in cruise ship activities and provides a platform for passengers to board and disembark cruise ships at the start and end of their excursions, respectively. Apart from the daily activities, a cruise home port is also known to provide the necessary provisions for a luxurious journey. The sources of supply could range from fuel to fresh drinking water, wines, and delicacies, among other things.

A typical cruise home port is always crowded and bustling with passengers boarding or departing cruises.

Because of the constant boarding, loading, and unloading activity, these ports are considered to be the busiest. Furthermore, the port authority at the port pre-plans and executes all formalities and arrangements for a safe cruise sail.

Florida’s Port of Miami and Port Everglades and Puerto Rico’s Port of San Juan are some of the popular cruise home ports.

Port of Call

The mid-point port, also known as the port of call, is placed in the middle of a ship’s route and accepts fuel supplies as well as cargo loading or unloading.

A port of call is a type of port where a ship makes a brief stop on its way somewhere. It’s also used to perform routine maintenance. Many people can disembark from the ship at the port of call.

Between a vessel’s home port and its destination port, it can be said to serve as a transit port.

Cargo ports

As the name implies, these ports operate in accordance with the cargo they handle, and the amenities supplied vary from port to port. These are special ports that solely handle cargo. “Bulk ports,” “break bulk ports,” and “container ports” are all terms used to describe these ports.

To load or unload a consignment, cargo ports use a variety of mechanical procedures. A cargo port might be built to handle a single or numerous types of items.

Liquid fuels, chemicals, food grains, lumber, machineries, and automobiles are all transported to various locations using the capabilities of a cargo port. Deep water ports are occasionally utilised in conjunction with cargo ports which lack sufficient depth to accommodate large ships.

Bulk ports handle cargo such as wood, liquid chemicals or gasoline, food grains, autos, and so on, whereas Container ports handle containerized cargo or cargo in containers. A third category, the all-in-one port, is occasionally introduced to this series. This type of port not only handles specialised cargoes but can also manage all types of cargoes in a single port.

Several operating terminals branch out from individual bulk ports and are responsible for the maintenance of diverse ship ladings. 

Conclusion

Maritime transportation is an important component of a country’s social and economic growth. It depicts the country’s water transport development in terms of speed, structure, and pattern. Shipbuilding and repair, major ports, national waterways, and inland water transport are all covered by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. The ministry has been tasked with developing and implementing these policies and programmes.

The Indian government has developed a National Maritime Development Program (NMDP). The information was provided in parliament by Union Minister of Shipping GK Vasan. According to the NMDP, 25 projects involving channel/berth deepening, including the Paradip Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port, were to be implemented between 2011 and 2012.