Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s largest container port, has lined up Rs 7,000 crore investment in various expansion projects over the next 4-5 years
To more than double operations in 5 years
MUMBAI: Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s largest container port, has lined up Rs 7,000 crore investment in various expansion projects over the next 4-5 years to improve the port’s cargo handling efficiency and more than double the scale of operations, a top port official said.
The plan includes deepening of approach channel, development of the fourth container terminal and acquiring quay cranes and Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGC).
The port plans to use a mix of its own resources and borrowings for the expansion.
“We have no problems of funds as IDBI and even the foreign banks like Citibank and Japan Bank have shown interest,” said S Shahzad Hussain, Chairman, JNPT.
As part the plans, the port will deepen the harbour channel to accommodate vessels up to a draught of 14 metres and has already shortlisted The Netherlands-based Van Oord for the project. An investment Rs 800 crore has been proposed in the first phase.
The expansion also accommodates the development of the fourth container terminal with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore in the next 4 years. When fully developed, the terminal would have a capacity of 4.4 million TEUs of containers and 15 million tonnes of liquid cargo.
Of the present three terminals, JNPT and Dubai Ports World run one terminal each, while the third is jointly operated by state-run Container Corporation of India and APM Terminals, part of AP Moller-Maersk.
In view of expected growth in container traffic and to accommodate larger size container vessels, JNPT plans to extend the container berth by 330 m to have a capacity addition of six lakh TEUs per annum.
Additionally, the port has also ordered three Super Post Panamax Rail Mounted Quay Cranes (RMQCs) from Malaysia-based crane fabrication company, IMPSA to be delivered by April 2008.
Besides, six RTGCs are in line to be acquired by 2009. Two of the old RMQCs from JNPT would be shifted to shallow water berth giving that also the facility of mechanised handling.
The port handled 44.81 million tonnes of cargo including 3.3 million TEUs of containers during the FY 2006-07. With the proposed expansion plans the port would handle 10 million TEUs of containers by 2015-16.
Hussain also said that to avoid road congestion, the board is considering building a yard for the trucks. The proposed yard will accommodate more than 2,000 trucks and will have all the facilities required.
“This will also help in systematic preparation of documents at one centre and will streamline the entire process,” he added.
There are 12 major container ports in India and around 186 minor ports, of which JNPT handles about 60% of the operational total container traffic handled by all ports in India.
Currently, JNPT has 20 container freight stations and another 12 are in the pipeline.
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