On Monday, the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal, approved the development of Oil Jetty number 9 at Deendayal Port, Kandla, Gujarat, to handle various kinds of liquid cargo on a BOT basis under the PPP model. The jetty will be built for approximately ₹123.40 crores over two years under PPP mode, with the Concessionaire financing the project. The concession period will be 30 years, and the project will adopt a revenue-sharing model of royalty paid per tonne.
The project is likely to increase the Port’s cargo handling capacity, thus reducing the turn-around time of liquid-carrying vessels and increasing Deendayal Port’s income through royalty. However, more capacity needs to be added to support the economy of the region dependent on the Port for sea trade and resolve the traffic congestion at the liquid handling facilities of Deendayal Port.
The Port handled 137.56 metric tonnes of cargo, a rise of 8.23 per cent over the 127.10 metric tonnes the previous year. Up to 70 per cent of the cargo is moved via road, 20 per cent through the pipeline, and 10 per cent by rail. The Kandla Port is expected to double its cargo to 267 metric tonnes at an annual growth rate of 10 per cent by 2030.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways identified 74 projects for developing ports in Gujarat for an investment of ₹57,000 crores under the Sagarmala scheme. Of these, 15 projects worth ₹9,000 crores have been completed; 33 projects worth over ₹25,000 crores are under execution, and 26 projects worth ₹22,700 crores are under construction. These projects are being developed by the central line ministries, state maritime board, major ports, and other state agencies.
