JSW Infrastructure Ltd, a unit of Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Group, is looking to expand its ports business, through brownfield expansions and potential acquisitions with investments of ₹7,000 crore to scale up its cargo handling capacity to 200 million tonnes by 2020.

The port facilities of JSW located at Mormugao Port Trust in Goa, Jaigarh and Dharamtar in Maharashtra are mainly used to provide logistics support to the group’s cargo shipments.

The captive facilities of JSW Infrastructure has a capacity to handle 68 mt.

The expansion plan — also focussed on growing the third party cargo business such as containers, liquid and LNG — includes a new 18-mt capacity iron ore terminal and a 30-mt capacity coal terminal at Paradip Port Trust in Odisha.

The coal terminal – designed to accommodate large capesize ships — is being build for exports as well as coastal movement of coal mined from Mahanadi Coalfields.

JSW Infrastructure is also actively scouting for acquisitions in the private ports sector, a company official said.

South West Port Ltd, the company’s first port facility, in Mormugao Port Trust, is being expanded to handle as much as 15 mt from about 7.5 mt, according to documents filed for environment clearance.

The expansion will be done by deploying highly mechanised and environment-friendly material handling systems, enhancing the existing conveyor speed and by improving the rake loading turn-around time through operational efficiency, making evacuation and despatch more efficient, the company said.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India has mandated the firm to handle cargo of all the hinterland industries as it is the only multi-purpose port on the river capable of loading different types of cargo.

Dharamtar expansion, to be implemented in three phases, will raise the cargo handling capacity to 33.95 mt from 9.69 mt.

Post expansion, it will be able to handle clinker, cement, HR Coils, Steel sheets, CR Coils, other iron and steel products, slag,containers and liquid.

The group’s focus on third party cargo will benefit from a Maharashtra government policy decision allowing it to handle as much as 25 per cent of the capacity of the captive jetty at Nandgaon, 110 km north of Mumbai, for commercial cargo.

JSW Infrastructure also signed an agreement last December for management of mechanised bulk cargo handling terminals at Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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