KARACHI: Karachi Port welcomed its first major roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) shipment carrying over 2,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on Friday, with the Chairman of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) inaugurating its arrival.
The massive consignment arrived aboard the MV Grande Shanghai, a cutting-edge hybrid energy vessel equipped with 2,500 square meters of solar panels and powered by 5 Megawatt-hour (MWh) lithium-ion batteries. Because of this technology, the vessel boasts the unique capability of operating with zero emissions while docked at the port.
KPT successfully managed the massive influx and completed the entire discharge operation in just 26 hours and 34 minutes, as per a press release.
Commenting on the logistical milestone, KPT Spokesperson Shariq Farooqui emphasized that minimizing turnaround time is the ultimate measure of port efficiency.
"This 26 hours and 34 minutes discharging of cargo and then turnaround to leave port is at par with the leading ports of the world," Farooqui stated.
The 2,000 vehicles were driven directly off the internal ramps - utilizing the vessel's specialized RoRo system - which drastically accelerated the discharge process.
This delivery marked the largest single shipment of electric vehicles to reach Pakistan, signaling a massive surge in local demand for eco-friendly transportation and a highly efficient future for the country's maritime logistics.
This arrival coincides with a rapidly accelerating momentum for electric mobility in Pakistan, driven by the government's New Energy Vehicle Policy (2025-30) which targets NEVs to account for 30% of new vehicle sales by 2030.
To sustain this influx, Mega Motor Company, the automotive subsidiary of Hub Power Company (HUBCO) partnering with global EV giant BYD—is advancing plans for a localized EV ecosystem. The joint venture achieved financial close earlier this year to construct a dedicated car production plant in Karachi, aiming to roll out its first locally assembled vehicles by late 2026.
Alongside manufacturing, the partnership is establishing a nationwide universal charging network through HUBCO Green to mitigate critical infrastructure bottlenecks and support the mass adoption of sustainable transit across the country.
While Karachi Port has a history of receiving conventional RoRo vessels, this shipment marks a historic first for the infrastructure. "This is the first time that a latest solarized RoRo vessel has called Karachi Port," Farooqui noted, highlighting the dual environmental impact of the arrival.
"Not only the ship was using green energy, but she also carried EVs to Karachi Port."
To match this global shift toward sustainability, KPT is aggressively pushing its own green initiatives. The port has steadily upgraded its facilities to utilize solar energy within its operational limits, with a comprehensive, gradual solarization process currently underway across the port's infrastructure.
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