Mumbai Port Trust set to upgrade facility, handle more traffic

The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) plans to consolidate its position as a multi-commodity port to ward off competition from rivals Jawaharlal Nehru port and the upcoming Rewas port.

The business plan includes increasing traffic to over 100 million tones from the present level of 54.54 million tonnes, create dedicated facilities for containers, dry bulk, pre-shipment storage and related infrastructure. MbPT is also looking forward to reorganise and rationalise its existing manpower and add stake holders through public-private partnership.

An MbPT official, who did not want to be quoted, told Business Standard, “The port has ready available infrastructure and multi cargo facilities. There is a captive cargo, experienced workforce, maritime hub. However, weaknesses and threats include limited drafts, constraints of evacuation, surrounding city, surplus workforce, high cost of operations and competition from ports in the vicinity.”

The official said MbPt has proposed an investment of Rs 1,460 crore for the development of offshore container terminal with two berths of 700 meters that are extendable by 350 meters. Of the Rs 1,460 crore, Rs 1,015 crore would come from the BOT operator and the balance Rs 445 crore would be invested by MbPT. The terminal is expected to be completed by March 2012 and would have a capacity of 1.2 million TEUs.

MbPT has planned another investment of Rs 1,861 crore to develop a cruise terminal that would have berth for handling two ships at a time and cater to 10 meter draft vessels. The cruise terminal would consist of a marina, convention centre and other entertainment and recreation facilities.

The official said, “The site has been identified by consultants off Oyster Rock near Taj Mahal Hotel in south Mumbai. However, the Indian Navy has raised objections as the site blocks the Navy helicopter path. MbPT has sought the Centre’s intervention so that the development of terminal can be taken up soon.”

MbPT is all set to put up a second liquid chemical berth to handle A,B,C grade chemicals with an investment of Rs 116 crore. The proposed berth would have draft of 11.5 meters and a capacity of 2 million tones. It also plans to invest Rs 662 crore to develop new berths to handle fully-loaded Suezmax tankers. The berth would have a capacity of 18 million tonnes.

According to the official, a dry bulk terminal with a capacity of 1.75 million tonnes would be developed under the PPP model with an investment of Rs 45 crore. There is also a proposal to spend Rs 30 crore for a conventional cargo terminal with a capacity of 2 million tonnes

A Mumbai-based analyst said MbPT’s proposed capex is with an obvious plan to effectively face competition from JNPT and the Rewas port being developed in the Raigad district. JNPT has already crossed 4 million TEUs mark in container handling and its total traffic reached 60.7 million tonnes in 2009-10. Besides, JNPT has also upgrading its port with a standalone container handling facility,chemical terminal, deepening and widening of the main harbour.