The Hindu Business Line : Kandla traffic target set at 100 million tonnes

Kolkata April 25 The Kandla Port Trust (KPT) has set a traffic target of 100 million tonnes (mt) by 2012. In 2006-07, the port handled 52.98 mt as compared to the target of 50.8 mt, up by more than 15 per cent over 45.9 mt handled in 2005-06. The target for 2007-08 has been set at 58 mt.

"Kandla port is one of the handful few to cross the 50-million tonne throughput level in 2006-07," the KPT Chairman, Mr A. Janardhana Rao, told Business Line, exuding optimism that the port would achieve a traffic growth of 10-12 mt annually till the end of 11th Plan.

"The port is set to emerge as a global logistics hub in not-too-distant future," he observed.

Four dry cargo berths (Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 16) with a total capacity of eight mt and having a draft of 14 metres would be commissioned by the end of 2008.

The offshore berthing facilities, with a capacity of 20 mtpa, would be developed under the private public partnership scheme at port Tuna, the satellite port, for handling large vessels requiring a draft up to 17.5 metres.

There was also a proposal to develop a port-based special economic zone and various port related projects such as container transhipment terminal, international bunkering terminal, ship repair facilities and an LNG terminal. The KPT was trying to develop bunkering facilities in the port on BOT basis and had accordingly prepared a feasibility report.

There were also proposals for constructing two additional cargo berths (Nos. 17 and 18) with a draft of 14.5 metres for deepening the navigational channel and its approaches.

The private sector would be involved in setting up a car handling terminal in the port as well as an oil jetty at Vadinar.

The rail connectivity to the port would be upgraded into a double-line broad gauge network and a railway siding developed at a new location.

The Kandla port, as the Chairman indicated, would position itself as a crude handling hub in the current fiscal, he said. This would be possible because of the crude handling capacity addition of over 19 mt in 2006-07. Essar Group launched its own SPM as well as a product jetty at Vadinar. The port is already known for handling large quantities of petroleum products.

The container handling would receive a big boost with the recent commissioning of a new and modern container terminal. The port's container throughput in 2006-07 was 1.78 lakh TEUs even in the absence of a full-fledged terminal.