GPL to handle more cargo

Gopalpur Port Limited (GPL), a seasonal port being operated by a private consortium aims to handle about five lakh tonnes of cargo in this year’s shipment season, compared to 3 lakh tonnes recorded last year.

The port expects to achieve the target despite the prevailing economic recession which has resulted in a slump in cargo handling by the major ports in the country. The targeted five lakh tonnes of cargo of GPL includes import of 3.5 lakh tonnes of urea and exports of 1.5 lakh tonnes of ilmenite, a mineral product of Indian Rare Earths Limited. As we have targeted to export ilmenite and import urea which is meant for the farmers, we think there would be no impact of the global recession on our business, said Manmohan Maharana, director, GPL.

Gopalpur Port Limited has opened its traffic from Saturday with the potash loading ship anchor in the port located at Arjeepalli, near Chhatrapur in Ganjam district. GPL is also confident of developing the seasonal port into a major port within the stipulated time.

The port, however, is yet to get the environmental clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forests. GPL, the consortium comprising Orissa Stevedores Limited (OSL), Sara International Limited (SARA) and Singapore-based Noble Group Limited is developing the seasonal port into an all-weather port on a BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) basis, with an investment of around Rs 1,700 crore.

"The first phase of construction work for the port has been almost completed and we hope the second phase of the port to be commissioned in the next two years", said Moharana.

The second phase work on the port by GPL entails an investment of around Rs 950 crore. GPL aims to scale up the cargo handling capacity of the port to 7, 50,000 tonnes this year.