India looks to complete and operationalize its INR 66,000 crore port at Vadhavan near Mumbai by 2040. The deep draft port which still awaits the necessary environmental approval and has seen revision plans is expected to handle more than 23 million TEUs (20 container equivalents) by 2040, placing India among the top ten ports in the world.
The project reportedly has seen a shift in plan with JNPA.
The offshore site previously required a larger land area, with JNPA(Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority) requesting re-construction of a land area, sources say they understand the evolution of the situation.
“Development of Vadhavan Port having cargo handling capacity of about 300 million tonne per annum (mtpa) is in the pipeline. As of now, the environment clearance is being processed. Only thereafter will the remaining activities commence (such as floating Eols, RPFs, etc),” an official said.
According to Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, special purpose vehicle (SP) has been formed, with JNPA and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) as its members, for implementing the Vadhavan Port project.
“This SPV will invest about 716, 140 crore for development of basic infrastructure such as breakwater reclamation, rail and road connectivity linkages, power, water lines, common utility etc. Terminal operation & Cargo handling infrastructure to be developed through PPP mode,” the minister told the Parliament in a written response.
Main Port
JNPA is the nation’s second busiest State-owned container port and has five container handling facilities with a capacity to handle 7.6 million TEUs per annum. It handled 6.05 million TEUs in FY23, up 6 per cent y-o-y.
Sonowal says, the long term plan is to develop Vadhavan-JNPA Cluster, Paradip Port and Deendayal Port as “Mega Ports” with capacity to handle more than 300 mtpa of cargo (preferably by 2030).
Mega ports include availability of deep draft for handling larger ships, effective hinterland connectivity to facilitate faster evacuation of cargo and land availability to create a sustainable industrial ecosystem.
The works for infrastructure enhancement and capacity augmentation in Paradip Port and Deendayal Port “are already under progress through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and also internal resources”.
