)
The shipping ministry awarded 13 projects with a total capacity of 80 million tonnes (mt) during the April-November 2013 period. This is 30% less than the total capacity of 114 mt awarded last year at an investment of Rs 5, 515 crore.
Out of the 13 projects awarded this year, five are public-private partnership (PPP) projects. The total private investment from these projects is pegged at Rs 2,514 crore.
The total capacity of the 12 major ports in the country is 745 mt a year.
For 2013-14, the Centre plans to award another 14 PPP projects to add a capacity of 156 mt at a cost of Rs 9,177 crore and six non-PPP projects, which will bring an investment of over Rs 800 crore.
The biggest project awarded so far is the installation of mechanised iron ore handling facility and modernisation of ore handling complex at the Vizag Port. The total cost of the project, with a capacity of 23.7 mt, is estimated at Rs 940 crore.
Last year, the Centre had awarded 14 PPP port projects of 80 mt capacity.
A senior shipping ministry official said: “We have taken a lot of steps to speed up processes. More powers have been given to the shipping ministry. We have expedited the security clearances, which were causing a lot of delay in the award of the projects.”
Notably, several projects awarded so far this year are a spill-over of last year’s targets. While some more projects are to be awarded this year, the Chennai Mega Container Terminal, which entails an investment of Rs 3,800 crore and capacity of four million TEUs (twenty foot-equivalent units), was recently taken off from the ministry’s list of targets for this year.
The ministry has also put JNPT's fourth container terminal up for a rebid this year and expects to award it by January 2014. The request for proposal for the same will be issued to seven shortlisted companies by next month.
Highlights
· 13 projects awarded during April-November 2013, out of this 5 are PPP projects.
· The total capacity of the projects is 80 MT at an investment of Rs 3,831 crore
· For the year 20113-14 govt plans to award a total of 33 projects to add a capacity of 255 MT
· Last year, 26 projects were awarded with a total capacity of 114 MT
· The current capacity of 12 major ports is 745 MT
