L&T, Adani & Gammon eye MbPT project

The Rs 35 cr bulk terminal project aims to double thoroughput of dry bulk goods.

As many as eight companies, including Larsen & Toubro, Gammon India Ltd, Adani Exports, T M Logistics (Tata Group) and South India Corporation are in the race for the Rs 35 crore bulk terminal project of Mumbai Port Trust, said Sauri Rajan, additional dock manager on Thursday.

Under this "build, operate and transfer basis" project, two 92-year old bulk commodity handling berths (number 16 and 17) at Indira Dock of Mumbai Port, will be converted into an ultra-modern bulk terminal with state-of-the-art equipment, said Rajan, who is also in-charge of the project.

The project aims at doubling the throughput of import/export dry bulk, break-bulk and agro-based commodities such as pulses, food-grains, fertilisers, raw materials and edible oils.

Existing throughput levels are at 0.6 million tonne per annum, he said. In a pre-bid meeting held 16 weeks ago between MbPT and the companies that have participated in the global tender, the latter had sought around 30 changes in the contract.

Extension of the implementation deadline from six months to a year has been conceded by MbPT. A meeting of MbPT officials in which modified tender terms will be approved and conveyed to the companies is scheduled on Friday.

The companies would be invited to submit technical /financial offer bids for a 30-year concession lease license to develop and operate the bulk terminal on revenue sharing basis. "The contact would be awarded before onset of monsoon", said Rajan.