World Bank-funded Haldia multimodal terminal gets private operator

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, on Thursday handed over the Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal (MMT) — a World Bank-funded project — to IRC Natural Resources. This comes on the back of the government’s efforts to push public-private partnership (PPP) in the inland waterways sector.

 

Built by IWAI with financial and technical assistance from the World Bank, the Haldia MMT in West Bengal has a capacity of 3.08 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA). It was being operated without a private player after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2023.

 

 

“To ensure efficient and sustained operation of the terminal, IWAI adopted a public-private partnership (PPP) model on an equip, operate and transfer (EOT) basis. The concessionaire was selected through an open bidding process for operation and maintenance (O&M) of the terminal over a 10-year period, extendable by another five years,” the shipping ministry said.

 

IRC Natural Resources emerged as the highest bidder by quoting a royalty of Rs 105.03 per metric tonne of cargo handled, payable to IWAI. 

 

Strategically located and connected to National Highway 41, the terminal is also expected to receive rail connectivity, further enhancing its multimodal integration. It is among the five terminals built under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP), with other MMTs in Varanasi and Sahibganj. Private carriers have also planned commitments on National Waterway-1, with Germany’s Rhenus Logistics planning an investment for 100 barges on the route.

 

“The operationalisation of Haldia MMT is expected to significantly boost cargo movement through inland waterways, providing a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and faster alternative for transporting goods, particularly to the northeastern states and Bangladesh,” the ministry said.

 

JMVP aims to enhance the capacity of the 1,390-km stretch of National Waterway-1 (Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly river system), which passes through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.