The Hindu Business Line : Kandla awaits nod for Tuna project

The details
Rs 1,200-cr satellite port planned at Tuna with a 4-berth configuration.
Planned capacity of the complex is 16 million tonnes.

Mumbai June 14 Kandla port is likely to get the final approval from the Government for setting up an integrated port-cum-shipyard complex at Tuna, near Kandla, by the month-end.

The port will call for financial bids from the 18 companies that have expressed interest in the project when it floated global tenders inviting expression of interest bids late last year.

The port had been waiting for the Government approval to come before taking the next step in the bidding process.

"We will complete the bidding process and sign the MoU with the successful bidder within two months from the approval," an official of the port told Business Line. The project will be developed on the public-private partnership model.

Satellite port

The Kandla Port Trust is setting up a satellite port at Tuna with a four-berth configuration, estimated to cost Rs 1,200 crore, apart from a Rs 2,000-crore shipyard and two single point moorings (SPMs) at a cost of Rs 700 each. Although the proposed offshore berths at the Tuna port will be designed as multi-purpose berths, initially, they would be handling mostly dry cargoes - the planned capacity of the four-berth complex is 16 million tonnes.

Interested cos

The 18 companies that responded to the port's EoI invitation include IL&FS, Afcons, Gammon Infrastructure, Wellspun, Essar Construction, West Asia Maritime, SKIL Infrastructure, JM Baxi Group and ABG Shipyard.

While some of the companies submitted EoI bids for all the three components of the project, others showed interest in specific projects. However, even though the port floated a global tender, no foreign company had responded to the invitation.

Marketing plank

The chief marketing plank for Kandla port for the offshore berths was the availability of a naturally draft of over 19 metres, which can accommodate vessels bigger than Panamax.

It is proposed that out of the four berths, two will be equipped with four ship unloaders (two on each berth) having a rated capacity of 15,000 tonnes per day, which will ultimately convey the dry bulk cargoes up to the back-up area.

The remaining two berths will be equipped with four marine unloading arms with a rated capacity of pumping liquid cargoes at the rate of 4,000 cu.m. per hour.

Kandla port plans to develop the shipyard in a phased manner, with the aim of ultimately building very large crude carriers and container vessels.