The capacity of the Dhamra Port would be increased to 100 MTPA from the present capacity of 25 MTPA within five years and Rs10,000 crore would be invested for it, indicated Adani Group Chairman Goutam Adani.
Adani who discussed with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati on Monday over future modernisation programme of the newly acquired Dhamara Port in Bhadrak district told newsmen that the work on the second phase expansion of the port would start soon, adding “when completed, the port would have 13 berths, including two fully mechanised berths.”
“Our vision is to build the Dhamra Port on the scale of the Mundra Port and the Odisha Government had already cleared in principle all hurdles for the expansion of the project in five years’ time,” Adani said, adding orders have already been placed for the capacity expansion to 100 MTPA.
The Dhamra Port Company limited (DPCl), which was run as a 50:50 joint venture between the Tata Steel and the l&T Infrastructure Development Projects ltd, was acquired by the Adani Ports in May last at an estimated cost of Rs5,500 crore.
DPCl chief executive officer (CEO) Santosh K Mohapatra said that the State Government had approved the proposal for an additional 700 acres of land for second phase expansion work. After the availability of land, the company would start the expansion project, he said.
The port, which commenced commercial operations in May 2011, has already obtained environment clearance for the proposed expansion estimated to cost about Rs 10,000 crore.
The second phase capacity expansion would pave the way for a five MTPA liquefied natural gas (lNG) terminal to be set up within the port premises by the Indian Oil Corporation ltd (IOCl). The terminal, to be set up at a cost of Rs5,000 crore, would require 150 acres of land.
The IOCl and the DPCl have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project.
The Dhamra port handled 14.31 million tonnes of cargo in 2013-14, 29.3 per cent higher than 11.07 million tonnes it handled in 2012-13. This included 10.23 million tonnes of import cargo and 4.08 million tonnes of exports. A total of 192 vessels, including 46 cape size vessels, came to the port in the last fiscal.
According to official sources, the Adani Group chairman also discussed with the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary the setting up of a power plant at Chhendipada in Angul district. “The Government has assured him that it would consider the proposal,” said sources.