The Cochin Port Trust has firmed up plans to use the sludge and sand generated from dredging operations in its shipping channel instead of dumping it back in the outer seas.

The ailing Cochin Port Trust is pinning big hopes on upcoming projects to increase cargo throughput as well as revenue. Allaying fears of a bleak future, the Port Trust Chairman, Paul Antony, said that ´the temporary difficulties will be over in the next two years´.

The ambitious Sagarmala project for the comprehensive development and diversification of activities at major ports

To develop a bunkering facility at Chennai port, Chemoil Adani, a joint venture between Chemoil and Adani, has expressed its keen interest. The Indian Oil Corporation is the only supplier of bunker – fuel oil used aboard ships – in Chennai. Mundra, Colombo and Kochi ports have developed bunkering facility. The Kandla port has also taken initiative to improve this facility, say media reports.

As part of an ambitious deep-water outer harbour project, the Union government-owned Cochin port in Kerala has started work on setting up a 20 million tonne export- oriented oil refinery and oil trading hub with private funds. The port is planning 16-m depth outer harbour, so large petroleum product tankers with a capacity to load 1,30,000 tonne can dock.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is to opt Kochi port for its foodgrain movement of both bulk and break bulk cargo movement. With this, Kochi port is to gain a lot. FCI recently floated a tender for multimodal contract for transport of rice from designated depots of Kakinada to Kerala through coastal movement.

To set up an export-oriented oil refinery or an oil trading hub, the Cochin Port Trust has invited expression of interest (EoI) from companies. The oil trading hub is to come up in the proposed outer harbour area.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is to opt the Kochi port for its foodgrain movement of both bulk and break bulk cargo movement. With this, Kochi port is to gain a lot. FCI recently floated a tender for multi-modal contract for transport of rice from designated depots of Kakinada to Kerala through coastal movement.

For its outer harbour project, Kochi port is likely to call an expression of interest (EoI) to move all future port related activities to a new area. Conceptual studies show that the intensity of sea erosion in Kochi’s western coast can be reduced significantly if two break waters, each extending 6 km into the sea, are put up at the port’s mouth.