Adani Group to develop multipurpose berth at Gujarat's Kandla Port

The development will add a capacity of 5.7 MMT to the port operator's existing capacity of 580 MMT

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) on Wednesday signed a concession agreement with the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) to develop a multi-purpose cargo berth at the Kandla port.

In July 2024, APSEZ had received a letter of intent (LOI) for the development, operation, and maintenance of the same berth for a 30-year concession period. India’s largest port developer-cum-operator will develop the berth under the DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer) model for multipurpose clean cargo, including container cargo.

The awarded berth, named berth no. 13, is expected to be 300 metres long and offers 5.7 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo handling capacity annually. The berth is likely to be commissioned in the financial year 2027 (FY27). APSEZ currently operates 580 MMT per annum of capacity combined across its 13 ports in India.

APSEZ will be operating this berth through its wholly-owned subsidiary DPA Container and Clean Cargo Terminal Limited (DPACCCTL). A berth is a designated space at a port where a vessel can be moored to carry out purposes like cargo loading and unloading.

Ashwani Gupta, whole-time director and the chief executive officer of APSEZ, said, “Berth no. 13 will diversify our presence at Deendayal Port. We will now handle multipurpose clean cargo at the port, in addition to dry bulk cargo that we already handle.”

Gupta expects the berth to further consolidate the company’s position on the western coast and enhance its ability to serve customers in Gujarat and north India. The company operates seven ports and terminals on India’s west coast (Mundra, Tuna, Dahej, and Hazira in Gujarat, Mormugao in Goa, Dighi in Maharashtra, and Vizhinjam in Kerala).