Visakhapatnam Port Authority inks pact with ICTPL to revamp WQ-6 terminal at an investment of ₹165 crore

Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) on Tuesday signed an MoU with Concessionaire M/s Integrated Cargo Terminal Private Limited (ICTPL) for executing a public-private-partnership project of revamping existing West Quay-6 (WQ-6) Terminal on the northern arm of the inner harbour of the port, at an investment of ₹165 crore.

This will help the VPA for handling all types of dry bulk cargo on DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer) basis with the ICTPL, a subsidiary SPV of Orissa Stevedores Limited (OSL Group).

“We are implementing the asset monetisation to become landlord port. This facility will add more throughputs to the port. The proposed facility is semi-mechanisation of the existing WQ-6 berth with a berth length of 255 metres and with a draft of 14 metres,” said the VPA Chairman M. Angamuthu.

“The project envisages installation of two new Harbour Mobile Crane (HMC) of 1,200 tons per hour with lifting capacity of 100 tons, two mobile hoppers, stock pile strengthening, installation of dust suppression system with monitors, electrical works, along with other handling equipment like cranes, loaders, trucks, fork lifts with a total investment of ₹165.70 crore,” he added.

The facility can also handle all types of dry bulk cargoes with handling capacity of 5.18 MMTPA. The terminal proposed has an in built advantage of having back up area of 2.5 acres adjacent to the berth for temporary storage of cargo and about 12.5 acres of stack yard within two kilometres from the berth front.

The entire construction work is likely to complete within 18 months from the date of award of concession. The total concession period is 30 years. The proposed facility is likely to generate employment to at least 100 direct and indirect employment.