Paradip Port Trust (PPT) aims to commission its much-awaited container terminal by August this year. Full-fledged operations of a container terminal would cap a long-standing demand of all stakeholders.
Provisional operations at this clean cargo terminal commenced by the end of March this year. Built at an investment of Rs 431 crore, the clean cargo terminal is equipped to handle five million tonnes per annum in cargo volumes.
The terminal positioned on the port’s southern dock will handle clean cargo as opposed to the bulk terminals on the northern end handling predominantly coal and iron ore.
PPT has inked a concession agreement in March 2015 with Paradip International Cargo Terminal Pvt Ltd (PICT). It is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by United Liner Agencies India Pvt Ltd which is a part of J M Baxi Group for construction/development of a multipurpose berth through public private partnership (PPP) mode on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis in order to cater to the container traffic and clean cargo at Paradip port. Apart from containers, it would also handle clean cargo like break bulk steel and fertilisers.
The non-hazardous and dust free cargoes including iron and steel products, aluminum ingots, pig iron, finished fertilizers, food grains, sugar (both raw and finished) would be handled effectively and efficiently in the multi-purpose berth.
The concessionaire would be responsible for financing, designing, construction, commissioning of the project along with operation, management and maintenance under the concession agreement. The concession period is 30 years.
Of the total estimated cost of Rs 430.78 crore, the contribution by the BOT operator is Rs 356.54 crore while PPT’s component is Rs 74.24 crore towards capital dredging.
The draught of the proposed berth will be 16 metres with a length of 450 metres, which will facilitate handling of Capesize vessels up to 1,25,000 DWT (dead weight tonnage). The berth will be equipped with modern and efficient machinery equipment like mobile harbour cranes, rubber tyre gantry cranes, reach stackers and forklifts/payloaders. n completion of construction, five million tonne of cargo per annum shall be added to the capacity of the port.
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