 "Paradip Port Trust")
Paradip Port Trust (PPT) has roped in Howe Engineering Products (India) Ltd as consultant for carrying out the feasibility study for its outer harbour project taken up under Government of India's Sagarmala initiative.
The consultant will submit the report within six months. The outer harbour estimated to cost Rs 8200 crore would have a cargo handling capacity of 160 million tonne per year. It is designed mainly to ship coal to southern states.
"The outer harbour project would be taken up on the BOT (build, operate and transfer) model. Once the consultant submits the report, we will decide on the course of implementation", said a PPT official.
The outer harbour is part of PPT's grand plan to reach a cargo volume of 325 million tonne (mnt) by 2025. The port, as of now, has a capacity to handle 126.94 mnt cargo. Last fiscal, PPT clocked cargo volume of 76.38 mnt, emerging as the second largest major port after Kandla and growing 7.5% year-on-year.
In current financial year, PPT eyes cargo throughput of 90 million tonne (mt) and exceed 100 mt in 2017-18. At the end of October, PPT has already grown by 19% in terms of cargo volume, on the back of spike in iron ore traffic and liquid cargo.
In previous financial year, thermal coal was the biggest contributor to the port's cargo load at 31.75 mnt followed by POL (20.57 mnt). Iron ore traffic which was at a measly 0.5 mnt last year has rebounded in the past two months.
PPT's revenue earnings in FY17 are expected to be upwards of Rs 1200 crore compared to Rs 1146 crore in previous financial year. As far as this financial year is concern, PPT has firmed up a capital expenditure of Rs 2000 crore to be expended on new coal and iron ore berths and a dedicated berth to handle clean cargo including containers.
The major port is going ahead with its plans to set up a container terminal estimated to cost about Rs 500 crore. A container berth is expected to be commissioned by August next year. Apart from containers, it would also handle clean cargo like break bulk steel and fertilisers.
PPT has already inked a concession agreement in March last year with Paradip International Cargo Terminal Pvt Ltd (PICT). It is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by United Liner Agencies India Pvt Ltd which is a part of J M Baxi Group for construction/development of a multipurpose berth through public private partnership (PPP) mode on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis in order to cater to the container traffic and clean cargo at Paradip port.
Presently, rail handles 63% of the port's traffic; pipeline caters to 27% while conveyor systems and road account for 8% and 2% respectively.
