With a plan to reach a cargo volume of 325 million tonne (MT) by 2025, the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) would set up an outer harbour and hire a consultant for it in two months.
The project being undertaken by the Centre’s Sagarmala project would have a cargo handling capacity of 150 MT per annum. The project is estimated to cost Rs8,200 crore. Now, the port handles 126.94 MT of cargo. In 2015-16, the PPT handled cargo volume of 76.38 MT, becoming the second largest major port after Kandla, thereby growing 7.5 per cent year-on-year.
“Before going with the project, we will hire a consultant in two months. It will prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the outer harbour project,” said PPT Chairman Rinkesh Roy during an interaction with mediapersons at the PPT office at Paradip on Friday.
The harbour would focus on transporting coal to the southern States, he said.
Stating that the operational cost percentage of the port stands at a mere 55 per cent which can be termed a milestone on part of any port, Roy said the PPT’s revenue earnings in this financial year are expected to be upwards of Rs1,200 crore compared to Rs1,146 crore in last fiscal.
“We have achieved 14 per cent in the April-June quarter, and in July, cargo handling has gone up to 26 per cent. This year, POl (petroleum, oil and lubricants) will be the key driver to cargo growth,” said Roy. He said the target is to reach 90 MT this year.
He said that for this fiscal the PPT has firmed up a Capital expenditure of Rs2,000 crore to be expended on new coal and iron ore berths and a dedicated berth to handle clean cargo including containers.
He further informed that Rs400-500 would be invested for a container terminal which would be commissioned by August next year to deal with seafood cargo. Apart from containers, it would also handle clean cargo like break bulk steel and fertilisers, he added.
A multipurpose berth is also being developed to cater to the container traffic and clean cargo at the port.
Presently, while rail handles 63 per cent of the port’s traffic, pipeline caters to 27 per cent, conveyor systems and road handle 8 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively.
Further, the PPT has also set a target to develop a Smart Industrial Port City on over 700-800 acres of land at Paradip. The proposed city would have a multi modal logistic park and an industrial processing unit.
“A consultant will be engaged for Smart Industrial Port City in two months,” informed Roy.