EBTL to invest Rs 750 crore to expand Hazira terminal's capacity

Essar Bulk Terminal Ltd (EBTL) on Monday said it is investing Rs 750 crore to expand its 550-metre berth in Hazira by a further 1,100 metres to accommodate the steady growth in cargo throughput at the port.

"The company is investing Rs 750 crore in the expansion project, which along with the existing investment of Rs 2,450 crore, will take the total investment in Hazira port to Rs 3,200 crore," the company said in a statement.

With the expansion, the capacity of the Hazira terminal will increase from the existing 30 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 50 mtpa, it said.

"The expanded terminal will not only help us service the enhanced requirements of our anchor customer, but also cater to our growing volumes of third-party cargo," said company CEO S. Das.

The company has already invested in creating an all-weather mechanised deep draft port, which is capable of handling capesize vessels.

"The port has a draft of 14 metres, which allows direct berthing of the largest of bulk cargo carriers. It has dredged an 8.8 km channel on the Tapi river. Approximately, 80 million cubic metres has been dredged until date," the statement said.

In the June quarter, traffic at the port increased by 80 percent to 4.4 million tonnes (mt), as against 2.4 mt in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

--IANS

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