India: Minister Shri G.K Vasan Inaugurates PIANC

The capacity at Indian ports is likely to increase to 3200 million tonnes by 2020 from the present level of 1170 Million Tonnes. The Indian Ports are aiming at a surplus capacity of above 25% in order to provide berthing facilities on arrival of the ships.

The proposed investment during the next ten years is expected to be Rs. 2.77 lakh crore – 1.09 lakh crore for Major Ports and Rs.1.68 lakh crore for non-major ports. The Union Minister for Shipping Shri Vasan said this while inaugurating the PIANC International Conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries in Chennai. The theme of this conference was “Meeting the Challenges of Coastal Environment”. Shri Vasan further stated that the anticipated traffic at Indian Ports would grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate of 11% from the present level of 850 Million Tonnes to about 2500 Million Tonnes by 2019-20.

Giving details about the progress of various ports Shri Vasan said that Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust awarded the first phase of the Fourth Container Terminal to create a capacity to handle 2.4 million TEUs to a private sector consortium at a cost of Rs. 4,100 crore. The Chennai Port Trust is also in the process of awarding a Mega Container Terminal at an estimated cost of Rs.3686 crores with a capacity to handle 4 million TEUs per annum. Upon commissioning, it can handle ultra large container vessels and deep draft vessels enabling the Chennai Port can compete with international ports and reduce need for transhipment from Singapore and Colombo and boost import and export from the region.

Ennore Port Limited has successfully implemented 3 major BOT projects, namely, a Marine Liquid Terminal having a capacity of 3 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA), a Common User Coal Terminal having a capacity of 8 MTPA and an Iron Ore Export Terminal having a capacity of 6 MTPA. Presently, Ennore Port is engaged in developing a state-of-the-art Container Terminal on BOT basis having a capacity of 1.5 Million TEUs per annum for which the concession has been awarded to a private sector participant.

The V.O. Chidambaranar Port at Tuticorin has undertaken a slew of development schemes to enhance its capacity. The capital dredging project to enable the Port to receive panamax vessels up to 75,000 DWT at a cost of Rs. 538 crore has become operational. The development of North Cargo Berths I and II, conversion of the 8th cargo berth into a container terminal and the modernization of equipment at a total estimated cost of Rs. 742.98 crore are likely to enhance productivity at the VOC Port and enhance its capacity to 61.68 million tones from the present level of 27.04 million tonnes.

The Minister said that in addition to capacity augmentation, all the major ports were aiming at bringing structural changes in the administration of the ports to improve organizational effectiveness. To this end, all the ports are planning towards implementing ‘landlord port‘concept duly limiting their role to maintenance of channels and basic infrastructure leaving the development, operation, and management of terminal and cargo handling facilities to the private sector Shri Vasan added.

Mr. Geoffroy Caude, President of PIANC, Shri Rakesh Srivastav, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Shipping and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.