The government today said it plans to augment the port capacity to 3,200 million tonnes by attracting a huge investment of Rs 2.87 lakh crore by 2020.
“The government aims to create a port capacity of around 3,200 mt by attracting investments to the tune of Rs 2,87,000 crore to handle the expected traffic of about 2,500 mt by 2020,” the Shipping Minister, Mr G.K. Vasan, said in his valedictory address at Golden Jubilee celebrations of Paradip Port Trust in Orissa.
Mr Vasan said the government aims to improve the “performance and capacity” on par with best global ports. The capacity of ports, including 13 Centre-owned major and about 200 non-major ports, is little over 1,000 mt at present.
The 13 major ports are Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Kolkata (with Haldia), Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore, Marmagao, Ennore, Tuticorin, Kandla and Port Blair.
About Paradip Port, the first major port on the east coast, Mr Vasan said that it has “embarked upon an ambitious plan to enhance its capacity to 251 MTPA” by 2020.
Capacity addition
Some of the capacity addition projects include Rs 293-crore project for deepening of channel to create an additional 5 MTPA capacity and construction of a deep draught iron ore berth and coal berth on BOT basis at a cost of Rs 1,070 crore, to add 20 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) capacity, an official statement said.
“Some of the major projects that have been scripted for execution in the future include construction of western dock system at an estimated cost of Rs 2,822 crore which is envisaged to create a capacity of 75 MTPA, mechanisation of east quay at an estimated cost of Rs 917 crore, leading to a capacity addition of 14 MTPA,” the statement added.
Haridaspur-Paradip rail link
Regarding the connectivity to port, Mr Vasan said that a new Haridaspur-Paradip rail link was under execution by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd which would reduce the rail route from the iron ore mines of Odisha to Paradip making the export more viable apart from reducing congestion.
On completion of the project, there will be considerable reduction of the distance from Bansapani to Paradip and the freight will be reduced by 50 per cent. The port handled 56 mt of traffic during 2010-11 comprising 31.22 mt of import and 24.81 mt of export cargo.
“Indian Oil Corporation was establishing a refinery of 15 MTPA capacity and a mega Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) at Paradip,” the statement said quoting Mr Vasan.
The “construction of second and third single point mooring by IOC at an estimated cost of Rs 1,492.33 crore, with a capacity of 22 MTPA is underway. Under private sector participation, one 12 MTPA integrated pelletisation facility ... is also being set up,” it added.