Gangavaram port is targeting to handle 16.5 million tonne cargo during the current financial year from 14 million tonne in 2010-11.
The port has also decided to increase the number of berths to nine by December 2014. “We are going to spend Rs 995 crore on new berths. While some of the funds would be mobilised from internal accruals, most would come from financial institutions,” said Surya Prakash Gutta, director, Gangavaram port. The port currently has five berths with mechanised handling facility.
Post expansion, it expects its handling capacity to increase to 41 million tonne. Of the four new berths, one will be dedicated to coal handling and the remaining three would be multipurpose berths including facilities for handling liquid cargo, he said.
This port has a capacity to handle vessels up to 200,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage), and last fiscal it received up to 157,000 DWT vessels, he said.