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| PPT aims at 126 MT cargo handling capacity by 2011-12 |
| BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar Apr 27, 2009, 00:07 IST |
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The Paradeep Port, a major port located in Orissa, aims to have cargo handling capacity of 126 million tonne by 2011-12 from 71 million tonne at present.
It also targets to handle 100 million tonne traffic by 2016-17, thus making it the third largest port in the country in terms cargo handled and cargo handling capacity.
Inspite of global slowdown, Paradeep Port Trust (PPT) handled 9.36 percent more cargo in 2008-09 compared to the previous year. “We are targeting cargo handling capacity of 126 million tonnes by 2011-12 with the ultimate aim of becoming the third largest port in the country by 2016-17”, said K. Raghuramaiah, chairman, PPT.
Raghuramaiah said, with the commissioning of the Single Point Mooring (SPM) by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the cargo handling capacity of the port has increased to 71 million tonne.
The port handled an all time high 46.41 million tonnes cargo during 2008-09, registering a growth of 9.36 percent. The projection for the current fiscal is 57 million tonne. The PPT chief allied fears about the threat to be posed from the Dhamra port, which is coming up north of Paradeep port. “ We will have our cargo and Dhamra will have its cargo. Our capacity addition will be much higher than Dhamra port, I don’t think there is any threat”, he said adding Dhamra port will have two berths initially (one for coal and one for iron ore), whereas PPT will add 5 more berths to take the total to 19.
On the new projects being taken up by the port, Raghuramaiah said, the deepening of channel is going on at an estimated cost of Rs.253.36 crores following which the port will be able to handle cape size vessels up to 1, 25,000 DWT. If every thing goes right, the project will be completed by December 2009.
Besides, one deep drought iron ore berth with back up facilities is planned to be constructed in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode at an investment of about Rs 505 crore. While tendering process is complete, the concession agreement for the project is likely to be signed soon. One coal berth with back up facilities is also proposed to be constructed in PPP mode at an investment of Rs 387 crore, for which the tender is expected to be finalised by June 2009.
While one oil berth, now under construction at an investment of Rs 172.97 crore, will be ready for operation by March 2012, construction of two multi-purpose berths to handle container and other clean cargoes is likely to be completed by June 2012.This entails an investment of Rs 359 crore and will add 5 million tonne to the present capacity of the port.
Besides, construction of a RO-RO Jetty, to handle imported cargo of Indian Oil Corporation and others, is expected to be completed by August this year.
Stating that there has been substantial improvement in the financial performance of the port, Raghuramaiah said, the net surplus was Rs 238.34 crore during the last fiscal after payment of Rs 132.75 crore as income tax. Besides, the port was able to clear all the debt during the last fiscal.
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