KoPT celebrates 50 years of HDC, to ramp up capacity to 60MT

The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) today observed 50 years of cargo handling at the Satish Samanta Oil Jetty in Haldia, its first cargo handling infrastructure set up in 1968.

KoPT Chairman Vinit Kumar said it remained optimistic about the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), which houses the Satish Samanta Oil Jetty, and was internally aiming to ramp up capacity to 60 million tonnes over the next two to three years from the existing 40.5 million tonnes.

The port is developing infrastructure for the expansion and will be investing Rs 800 crore for building three jetties.

One liquid-cargo terminal (2 million tonnes), primarily for edible oil, has been proposed at Salukhali near Haldia, while two outer terminals one for dry-bulk cargo (5 million tonnes) and another 2 million-tonne liquid-cargo terminal have also been planned, he said.

All three terminals will be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

KoPT has identified 1,200-1,300 acres of land in Haldia that will be commercially exploited, Kumar said.