Mangalore port expansion on track

Despite port users reducing their import and export consignments in the past couple of months, the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), which manages the country’s ninth major port at Mangalore on the west coast, is going ahead with its proposed plan to build five new berths. These berths are being added under the public private participation (PPP) model at an estimated investment of Rs 1,000 crore in the next three years.

P Tamilvanan, chairman, NMPT said, “The port is committed to create additional infrastructure for the smooth handling of all types of cargo as per the implementation of the National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP). The economic slowdown has not made any major impact on our operations so far. To cope with the increase in the number of vessels calling at the port, we need to provide necessary infrastructure.”

While two out of five new berths are being constructed by the port trust for multiple users, three other berths are being built by port users as their captive berths. NMPT will spend Rs 242 crore for two berths, whereas the investment from private parties is estimated at Rs 732 crore. Among these berths, one berth will be dedicated for handling container cargo alone.

“Our container traffic has been growing very well. During the first eight months of this fiscal, we have recorded 50 per cent increase in the container traffic at 20,479 TEUs. To cater to the growing needs of container operators, we have now planned to build an exclusive berth for container cargo which will be built under the PPP mode,” Tamilvanan told Business Standard.

He said the container berth is estimated to cost Rs 350 crore for which NMPT has received expression of interest (EoI) from nine global companies. The work will be taken up during the second phase of expansion.

As part of its immediate expansion plans, the port is going ahead with the construction of a dedicated berth to handle coal for Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), which is building a 1,000-Mw thermal power plant at Padubidri. UPCL is pumping in about Rs 230 crore for the berth, which will handle 3 million tonne coal per annum.

The port is also planning to build another berth for handling petroleum products for Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd at Oil Dock Arm at an investment of Rs 95 crore, which will handle an additional traffic of 3 million tonnes per annum. It is also planning to build a bulk cargo handling berth, mainly for iron ore and coal, at an investment of Rs 147 crore.