The Hindu Business Line : Tuticorin outer harbour project cost put at Rs 4,350 cr

Looking ahead
As part of the project, two breakwaters — one in the North-South direction and another in South-East — would be constructed.
The TPT is considering giving the entire project to private sector.

Chennai June 4 A pre-feasibility report has estimated the cost of the outer harbour project at Tuticorin at Rs 4,350 crore. The greenfield harbour will have a capacity to handle 22 million tonnes (mt) of cargo in 2011-12.

The project will augment the capacity of the existing harbour, whose capacity is also being expanded from 16 mt now to 36 mt by 2009.

Thus, in another five years, the southern port will be able to handle close to 60 mt.

The National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP) of the Shipping Ministry had earlier estimated the outer harbour project to be around Rs 2,150 crore. This, however, did not include construction of superstructures like breakwater that would cost over Rs 1,500 crore, Mr N.K. Raghupathy, Chairman, Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT), told Business Line. As part of the project, two breakwaters — one in the North-South direction of 3.1 km and another in South-East of 4.2 km — would be constructed.

Initially, the outer harbour will have 1.5-km-long container terminal to be developed by a BOT (build, own and transfer) operator. Subsequently, different developers will construct facilities to handle coal, POL (petroleum, oil and lubricants) and general cargo, according to Mr Raghupathy. The TPT is considering giving the entire project to private sector, and alternatives for financing the development of infrastructure and superstructures by the port or a BOT operator.

Memorandum sent

Mr Raghupathy said the port trust had sent the memorandum of the project to the Private Public Partnership Appraisal Committee for approving the construction works. The report was also sent to the Department of Economic Affairs for viability gap funding — this is to reduce capital cost of the project by credit enhancement and to make the project viable and attractive for private investments.

As per the NMDP, the present cargo handling capacity at Tuticorin port is 16 mt a year. Creation of additional facilities and upgrading the existing facilities at inner harbour are under implementation and expected to be completed by 2008. By 2009, the port's capacity will be 36 mt.

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