By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JAN 08, 2025: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced major initiatives to boost the capacity at Kandla Port worth an investment of more than Rs 57,000 crores here yesterday. The two major announcements include construction of a new Mega Shipbuilding Project with an investment of Rs 30,000 crores. The other major announcement is development of a new cargo terminal outside of Kandla creek at an investment of Rs 27,000 crores which will add an additional 135 MTPA capacity to the Kandla Port. The Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that these capacity expansion at Kandla Port is the realisation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India, Make for the World' vision.

The new Mega Shipbuilding Facility at the Kandla Port will develop technical capability in the country to manufacture big Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) or similar class of vessels with capacity up to 3,20,000 tonnes DWT. The facility will have capacity to produce 32 new ships and repair 50 old ships every year. Spread over an area of more than 8,000 acres, the new facility will have components like Marina, Fishing Harbour, Townships and Marine Industrial Cluster. The project is likely to unlock tremendous value for trade interests as well as employment avenues in the region, especially in the ancillary manufacturing and assembly units to come and operate in the cluster.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, "We are really excited at the possibilities that this new investment is likely to bring towards contributing meaningfully towards Viksit Bharat. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we are working towards building capacities in our country which will not only propel the growth proposition but also allow it to become a platform of production for the world at large. The new shipbuilding facility at Kandla is a manifestation of the 'Make in India, Make for the World' - a vision of our beloved leader Narendra Modi ji."

On the other hand, in an attempt to restructure the Port, a new state of the art port is being developed outside of the Kandla Creek, towards Tuna. This new port will be developed using the 6 kms available waterfront. With an investment of Rs 27,000 crores, an additional capacity of 135 MTPA will be developed to the existing capacity of Kandla port. The new port will handle all existing cargo jetties handling dry bulk cargo, with modern cargo handling equipment and more efficient evacuation systems. This will allow Kandla to be converted into Liquid Jetties, hence, building tremendous scope to handle liquid cargo. This will tremendously improve the waiting of Liquid Tanker Vessels and improvement in the Turnaround time of liquid vessels. Considering the new port's proximity to the navigation channel, the dredging requirement will come down considerably, allowing bigger vessels to dock here.

Speaking further, Sarbananda Sonowal said, "Ports are critical hubs for nation's economy, serving as vital links to support growth and drive economic development. Enhancing capacity in port infrastructure is essential to meet our expanding ambitions. The new facility at Kandla Port will not only significantly augment its operations but also enhance efficiency through the segregation of dry and liquid cargo. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is steadfastly progressing towards becoming an Atmanirbhar Bharat by 2047. Ports are pivotal to this journey, and it is our responsibility to contribute towards this vision and work diligently to make it a reality."

The Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) has also been working on a number of other projects on mission mode to enhance capacity of Kandla port significantly. A new mega cargo terminal, with a capacity of 2.19 million TEU, is being constructed at Tuna Tekra under PPP mode. A new Multi Cargo Terminal at Tuna Tekra is also under consideration. This will add 18.33 MTPA to the existing capacity. Three new oil jetties are in the process of being constructed, which will further add 10 MTPA capacity. One Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) and 2 product jetties are also being constructed at Vadinar. This will further shore up the liquid cargo handling capacity by 24.5 MTPA. A Ship Repair Facility project at Vadinar is also under consideration which will be capable of servicing 32 vessels per year.