GPL second phase expansion in 2 yrs

Gopalpur Port Limited (GPL), a joint venture between Orissa Stevedores Ltd. and Sara International, hopes to complete the Rs 700 crore second phase expansion within 24 months from the date of achieving financial closure.

The company has indicated the state government that the project will be completed in 36 months from 6 October 2008 which is the date of takeover for the company. The cargo handling capacity of port is projected to be 14 million tonne per annum from the 0.55 million tonne envisaged for the first phase.

It will have 5 berths including one exclusive berth for aluminium by 2011 and 10 berths by 2016. Similarly, the number of ship calls per day is projected to increase to 1451 by 2016 from about 333 likely to be achieved by 2011.

The company submitted the detailed project report (DPR) for second phase expansion for developing an all weather port at Gopalpur having direct berthing facility to the Orissa government recently, official sources said.

Though Rs 20 crore was proposed to be invested by GPL in the first phase, it has already spent about Rs 78 crore on making the port functional.

During the second phase, the port will have facilities to handle export cargo of ilmenite sand, iron ore, thermal coal, bauxite, granite, steel coil, aluminium ingots and import cargo of fertilisers, aluminium powder, coal, coke, rock phosphate and foodgrains.

The cargo handling capacity of the port is projected to be 5.6 million tonne in the first year of operation which will increase to 8.9 million tonne in the second year. Similarly, it is projected to have a cargo handling capacity of 9.3 million tonne in the third year of operation and will increase to 13.5 million tonne in the fourth year.

The final cargo handling capacity of 14 million tonne is likely to be achieved by the fifth year of the commissioning of the port. The port will employ 50 persons in the managerial rank and about 350 supervisers and labours.