GMB signs pact for developing port at Dahej

The Gujarat Maritime Board has entered into a concessional agreement with city-based Sterling Biotech and Sterling Port for development of a greenfield port at Dahej in Bharuch district.
"The project envisages investment of about Rs 4,060 crore over a period of 10-12 years," said Chetan Sandesara, Director of Sterling Biotech and Sterling Port.
The board had invited competitive bids for development of Dahej port in Bharuch district, on the build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis.
"After evaluation of offers from various bidders, Sterling Biotech, a listed Sandesara Group company, was short-listed for development of the project," the GMB said in a release.
The project has been awarded for a 30-year concession to Sterling Biotech for the development of an all-weather direct-berthing port for handling dry bulk, liquid bulk and container cargoes at Dahej.

The environmental and CRZ clearances for the project have been received and the construction is under progress.

In the first phase, two solid cargo terminals, a liquid cargo terminal and a container terminal would be commissioned at the cost of about Rs 2,500 crore, while a terminal each for solid, liquid and container would be added in the second phase, the release said.
The proximity of the port to states like Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana in addition to the cement and fertiliser plants nearby would contribute to the volume of trade that the port would handle.
"The total port capacity of phase I and phase II would be 41 MMTPA. This would be a significant capacity addition in the Gujarat's non-major ports having total capacity of 387 MMTPA at present," the release said.

Located along the Mumbai-Delhi Dedicated Freight Corridor, the port facility would serve the chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and engineering industries located near the port.
Dahej also houses the first dedicated chemical terminal of India which is developed by Gujarat Chemical Port Company Ltd, and an LNG terminal developed by Petronet LNG Ltd.