Vizag Port to mechanise its cargo-handling

To improve its capacity, the Visakhapatnam Port is to mechanise cargo-handling to face challenges from the private ports. It has also taken up nine major projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, 2 of which have been finished and the rest being in various stages, said Deputy Chairman of the port GVL Satya Kumar.

The concession contract with Vadinar Oil Terminals Private Limited of the Essar group for modernisation and upgrading of the iron ore-handling complex (OHC) was signed in Chennai previous week and the group would invest Rs 845 crore on the project.

The Visakhapatnam Port would get a revenue share of 31.01 per cent, he said. The capacity of the port would rise to 140 million tonne by 2016-17 and the throughput of 85 million tonne (mt) and the respective figures by 2020 would be 150 mt and 105 mt, he said.