Vizag port to take up berth work on BOT basis

Visakhapatnam Port has decided to take up E.Q-10 berth construction works on BOT (build own and transfer) basis.

To meet the future demand, the port has decided to construct one more berth in the inner harbour in addition to the existing 24 berths (16 in the inner harbour and 8 in the outer harbour).

The port has allotted two berths, E.Q-8, E.Q-9, to a private company on BOT basis while the Vizag Seaports Private Limited has constructed two berths, including mechanical handling equipment, in the inner harbour on BOT basis at a cost of Rs 270 crore.

Vizag Seaport handled about 14 lakh tonnes of cargo at these two berths during the last fiscal and aiming to handle more than 20 lakh tonnes during the current year.

Keeping this experience in mind, the port management has decided to take up the E.Q-10 berth also on BOT basis. "We are waiting for the public-private partnership enterprise approval for our proposal. Once we get the approval, we invite tenders for selecting a private partner to take up the project," port sources told Business Standard.

Successful bidder will be required to invest more than Rs 100 crore to construct the berth and he will get a 30-year lease rights to operate it.

However, the port has decided to construct W.Q-6 berth in the inner harbour using its own funds.