Government-owned Paradip Port is planning to set up six new captive berths of more than 10 million tonnes per annum (tpa) capacity each as part of the development of a Western Dock complex.
The Paradip Port Trust (PPT) estimated that a total investment of Rs.6,500 crore would be required for the development of the Western Dock. It will also consider a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Besides, it is setting up a southern oil jetty of 10 million tpa, and will be commissioned this year. It has planned mechanisation to hike capacity by 50 million tpa, a new iron ore berth of 10 milllion tpa, a coal berth of 10 million tpa, a multipurpose clean cargo berth of 5 million tpa, an LNG terminal of 10 million tpa and an Inland Container Depot (ICD).
Speaking to this correspondent on the eve of the company’s investor conference on Western Dock, S. S. Mishra, Chairman, Paradip Port Trust, said the port planned to increase the total capacity from 108.50 million tonnes to 270.50 million tonnes by 2023, entailing an investment of Rs.16,500 crore, for which it would go in for a PPP for Rs.15,600 crore and Rs.900 crore would be from internal accruals.
“Any good port must have good connectivity or good draught. We have both and aspire to be the mother port for Eastern India,’’ Mr. Mishra said.
On competition, Mr. Mishra said the Adani group taking over Dhamra port was competition. “Among other ports on the east coast, Gopalpur has yet to materialise. We may be hit by competition in the short run but being a government port, the advantage offered is guaranteed tariff for three years and no hidden costs.’’
The port has a target of 69 million tonnes traffic throughput in the current year against 68 million tonnes in 2013-14 set by the Shipping Ministry, which, Mr. Mishra said, would be “easily surpassed. We will be the number one port in the country in terms of throughput in 2015-16. We are currently only behind Kandla Port.’’
In 2013-14, the port’s total revenue rose by 34 per cent to Rs.1,068 crore, while the operating surplus was up 50 per cent at Rs.365 crore and surplus after tax was up 24 per cent at Rs. 233 crore.
