The Hindu Business Line : Paradip Port mulls negotiated deal for mobile harbour cranes

PARADIP Port Trust (PPT) is mulling a negotiated deal to have two mobile harbour cranes installed in its CQ berths currently handling imported coking coal for steel plants.

However, a decision on this has to wait till clearances have been obtained from the Shipping Ministry and the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP).

Alternatively, the port authorities may have to opt for a limited tender, inviting bids from the present users of the berths, namely, the steel plants which import coking coal through the berths.

Given a choice, PPT would like to have a negotiated deal, as it will cut down on the time taken in the tendering process. PPT is in a hurry in view of the projected increase in its coking coal traffic.

In 2003-04, the throughput was two million tonnes, slated to rise to 2.5 mt in the current fiscal and more than three mt next year. Once the mobile harbour cranes are installed, it should be possible to handle gearless vessels in the berth. This will be in tune with the global trend, which is to abandon vessels with gears in favour of gearless vessels.

It might be noted that PPT has decided to install two electrical level-luffing cranes in the same berths.

The orders have been placed with TIL Ltd and the equipment, estimated to cost Rs 10 crore, are likely to be ready for operation by July next year.

The CQ berths are deep draft berths with an average draft of 12.5 metres, likely to go up to more than 13 metres once the deepening of the channel is complete.

Meanwhile, Essar Steel is believed to have shown interest in the port. This follows the Essar Group's plan to have a port-based steel plant and is accordingly looking for about 2,000 acres of land in the area.

Iron ore in slurry form will be transported from the mines in pipelines and the gas will be the feedstock. A former CMD of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd is involved in the project. Essar Steel, it might be noted, is one of the bidders for the deep draft iron berth, which PPT proposes to have built on BOT basis.