Vizag Port takes up inner harbour channel widening

Visakhapatnam Port is taking steps to allow 12.5-metre draft Panamax vessels into the inner harbour from September 2008. The 18 berths the port has in its inner harbour can accommodate only below 40,000 dwt (deadweight tonnage) Handymax vessels.

"If we can berth Panamax vessels in the inner harbour, the trade will benefit immensely by way of reduction in cargo handling time and ship waiting time. Keeping this in mind, the port has taken up the deepening and widening of the entrance channel of inner harbour at an investment of about Rs 70 crore," Y Jayanthi, director (research and planning), Vizag Port, told Business Standard.

The entrance channel of the inner harbour is one of the narrowest channels with several bends and curves, thus restricting the entry of Panamax vessels.

The port has already taken up the first phase of deepening and widening of the inner harbour channel and turning circle at an investment of Rs 25 crore and the work is nearing completion. After completion of the phase one work, Panamax vessels of 75,000-80,000 dwt with 11 metres draft can be allowed into four inner harbour berths, she said.

On an experimental basis, the port has succeeded in navigating one Panamax vessel (72,000 dwt) with 8.6 metre draft on February 17.

The port will take up the second phase work on BOT basis. The project will cost about Rs 45 crore. Vizag Seaport Limited, the BOT operator, will invest the amount.

The second phase work will be completed by September 2008, after which all the inner harbour berths can accommodate Panamax vessels with 12.5 metre draft, according to Jayanthi.