Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL), a special purpose vehicle promoting an eponymous project near here, has received two bids for selection of port operator. A consortium of Welspun Infratech, Welspun Corp and Leighton Welspun Contractors, and Mundra Port and Special Economic Zones are the two successful bidders, according to the Kerala Ports Minister, Mr K. Babu.

TECHNICAL BIDS

The technical and financial bids for the multi-thousand-crore deep-water port and international transhipment container terminal were opened late on Tuesday evening.

The technical bids would be scrutinised during the next 10 days for responsiveness and compliance with the qualifications sought. On completion of the technical evaluation, the VISL would proceed to open the financial bids, the Minister said.

The Government of Kerala has decided to develop Vizhinjam based on the ‘landlord port' model wherein the basic infrastructure would be developed by the VISL through an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract.

‘LANDLORD' PORT

Infrastructure to be raised as part of this includes the breakwater, quay wall, dredging and reclamation and external connectivity (road, rail and utilities). The private partner (port operator) would construct the superstructure for the port operations and the terminal. It would operate and maintain the facility for a period of 30 years.

The request for qualification had elicited 14 bids, and the State Government accepted the recommendation to pre-qualify 12 to whom the request for proposal and the draft concession agreement were given.

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