The much-awaited Ennore Port's new LPG import-export facility was officially dedicated by shipping minster G K Vasan on Wednesday. With this, Tamil Nadu's dependence on Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for LPG storage would ease.
The facility could directly import LPG from countries in the West Asia. So far, the state had been using infrastructure at New Mangalore and Visakhapatnam ports.
“The new infrastructure at Ennore port will also reduce the time taken for supply to domestic customers,” he said here, adding it would ensure uninterrupted supply of LPG to Tamil Nadu.
To create this infrastructure, it usually takes around three years, but this was created in 18 months, according to the minister.
The total demand for LPG in the state was 1,32,000 tonne per month, whereas availability through the Indian Oil Corporation was only 32,000 tonnes per month, he said.
AM Rao, managing director, Ennore Tank Terminal Private Limited, said so far Rs 417 crore had been invested to create the LNG and additional terminal facilities for petroleum and chemicals projects at the port.
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The present expansion included additional storage and handling facilities for chemicals, petroleum products and petrochemicals, and LPG handling facilities like unloading arms and additional fire-fighting systems. With this, the total storage capacity at the marine liquid terminal stood at 2,43,000 kl in 63 tanks.
Vasan said in addition to the marine liquid terminal, iron ore and non-TNEB coal terminals had been developed through private sector partnership with an investment of more than Rs 1,000 crore.
The port reported a 22.36 per cent growth in cargo by handling 7.99 million tonnes as against 6.53 million tonnes in the corresponding previous year. Its operating ratio is the lowest among all the major ports at 17.08 per cent as against 23.08 per cent in the financial year 2011-12, said S Velumani, chairman-cum-managing director, Ennore Port Ltd.
The board of directors had given its in-principle approval for setting up the LNG import storage and re-gasification terminal at the port by IOC with an investment of Rs 4,320 crore. The capacity of LNG terminal is 5 mtpa with provision to expand to 10 mtpa, he added.
Ennore Port is the first corporate structured port set up by the Government of India.