Gangavaram Port
The second port coming up in Vizag.

Gangavaram Beach - The location of the upcoming port.
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Location
Gangavaram Port is centrally located along the East Coast of India around the Latitude 17° 37' N and Longitude 83° 14' E, about 15 kms south of Visakhapatnam Port.

The coast forms a bay between Yarada Hill at north and Mukkoma Hill at south. A creek in between these two hills forms Balacheruvu Lagoon, where the natural port of Gangavaram is being developed.

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Advantages

Located at Visakhapatnam, the industrial nerve center of Andhra Pradesh

Deepest Port in India (21m), capable of handling super cape vessel up to 200,000 DWT

Logistics & freight advantage due to larger vessel sizes

Well connected to National and Regional Rail & Road network

Over 2800 acres of uninhabited backup area for transit storage and blending

24 x 7 - Marine and Cargo operations

State of the art cargo handling equipment

Fastest turnaround of vessels

Most environmental friendly port

No pre-berthing delays

Proximity to major industrial and mineral belts of eastern and central India


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Phase 1 Development


5 berths (Iron-ore 1; Coal 1; Multipurpose 3)
Fully Mechanised Coal handling system for handling vessels up to 200,000 DWT
Fully Mechanised Iron ore loading system for handling vessels up to 200,000 DWT
Modern Harbour Mobile Cranes for other bulk and break bulk cargoes
Excellent Rail and Road connectivity to the hinterland
Mechanised Wagon loading and Wagon tippling system
Vast open storage and covered transit sheds for bulk and break bulk cargoes



Port Connectivity

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Rail: 2.3 kms Rail link, under development, connects the port to the main broad gauge national network of Chennai – Visakhapatnam – Howrah rail corridor, giving access to whole of Northern and Southern India.

Road: An excusive 4-lane expressway, already established, connects the port with the National Highway No.5 running from Chennai to Kolkata, connecting the port to the entire national road network.



Status Pics
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Aerial Pics by Timir Mozumder
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Phase 1 of the port nearing completion....


Project Appraisal and Financial Closure Completed
Commencement of Construction December 2005
Iron Ore Berth Construction and Fittings Completed
Coal Berth Construction and Fittings Completed
South and North Breakwaters May 2008
Other General Cargo Berths May 2008
Delivery of Coal Unloaders,Iron Ore Loader and Mobile Harbor Cranes Delivered
Completion of Stackyard May 2008
Phased Commissioning of the Port June /July 2008

Port has started handling operations.


Berthing of the first ship at the new port

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Second vessel
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Third vessel
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Fourth Vessel

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Coal Berth

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Iron ore berth

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Cargo Berths
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Phase 1 of the port nearing completion....


Project Appraisal and Financial Closure Completed
Commencement of Construction December 2005
Iron Ore Berth Construction and Fittings Completed
Coal Berth Construction and Fittings Completed
South and North Breakwaters May 2008
Other General Cargo Berths May 2008
Delivery of Coal Unloaders,Iron Ore Loader and Mobile Harbor Cranes Delivered
Completion of Stackyard May 2008
Phased Commissioning of the Port June /July 2008

nice thread and great pics. Thanks @Luckystreak.

Port has started handling operations.

Berthing of the first ship at the new port

Has there been any official commissioning/starting of handling operations ...

I think this requires a special thread in the infrastructure section or atleast in the misc projects section

DC:
Mega plan for industrial corridor
Kakinada, May 19: The government plans to spent Rs 20,000 crore to develop ‘linkages’ for the industrial corridor between Kakinada and Visakhapatnam. These include roads, railways, airports, ports and other external infrastructure.

The proposal has got the nod of the Centre a few days ago. Under this project, a 138 km-long coastal corridor will be built between Kakinada Port and Gangavaram Port (near Vizag) with six-lane roads and pipeline corridor at a cost of Rs 1,062 crore. In the subsequent phases the link road will be converted into an eight-lane road by spending Rs 875 crore.

As part of the programme, the present Asian Development Bank-sponsored road will be converted as a four-lane road between Kathipudi and Kakinada Port in an extent of 51.07 km. In addition to this, the National Highway 214 will be developed into four-lane road from the present two-lane at a cost of Rs 260 crore. Later, it will be developed into a six-lane road at a cost of Rs 387 crore.As part of the industrial corridor development, the existing NH 5 will be developed into six-lane road for 190 km between Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam.

... A rail link of 26 km will be taken up at a cost of Rs 102 crore between APSEZ and Gangavaram.For the provision of rail freight stations and for Gangavaram Port logistics Rs 730 crore will be utilised.

... authorities are allocating Rs 2,640 crore for developing airports in the region. This would include the development of the new Visakhapatnam International Airport with Rs 2,000 crore and the upgradation of Rajahmundry airport at Rs 120 crore. These proposals were discussed at a meet held recently by the Infrastructure Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh with allied departments.
cool. we can expect a lot of buzz from Gangavaram port in the years to come ...

great job.
i think the port is a part of the proposed industrial mega corridor between vizag and kakinada with an investment of 1,86,000 crores ~ 46.5 billion dollars. if we get more updates on the corridor we might just have the need for a seperate thread.

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/30/stories/2008053055190800.htm
Waltair Railway division expects a bonanza
Gangavaram port all set for inauguration
VISAKHAPATNAM: With the country’s deepest major private port – Rs.2,000-crore Gangavaram Port Limited (GPL) -- all set for inauguration in the next few weeks the Waltair division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) is waiting for the bonanza as it expects 25 per cent increase in freight movement in the coming years...

Sources said the Waltair division, one of the highest revenue earners in freight movement in the country, fetched about Rs.2,500 crores during 2007-08 moving about 40 million tonnes of iron ore, coking coal, iron pellets etc. to various agencies including the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). As the VSP would be the main beneficiary of the GPL which is hardly one k.m. from the plant, the Waltair division wants to utilise the opportunity to the maximum in increasing freight movement.

“We already have two lines to VSP and connectivity for about 0.8 km. has been given to the GPL,” sources said pointing out that even if the five berth port (two exclusively for VSP) in the first phase is inaugurated the actual increase in the cargo movement would be felt only in 2009-10 onwards. Currently, the VSP, with its three million production capacity per annum of hot metal, imports 3-3.5 mt of raw materials, mainly coking coal from Australia, limestone, boiler coal and iron ore pellets. The material is discharged at the Visakhapatnam port in the inner harbour and brought to the plant by rail. It is estimated that the plant spends Rs.120 crore-130 crore a year on rail freight. Besides the railways would benefit more as the VSP would shift its export of steel products to the GPL from the present Visakhapatnam port.

Another advantage: Another great advantage with the Gangavaram port is that it has the deepest draft in the country (21 metres) as against the 11-12 m of the inner harbour at the Visakhapatnam port. Therefore, it is possible to handle only smaller vessels (50,000-70,000 tonnes) in the inner harbour at the Vizag main port. On the other hand, it is stated, even 2 lakh-DWT (dead weight tonnage) vessels can be handled at the Gangavaram port. This enables the plant to import coking coal and other raw materials in greater volumes at a time...
wow!

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/20/stories/2008062060690500.htm
Gangavaram port is likely to come on stream in August
Four of the five berth in the Greenfield port ready
HYDERABAD: The new port at Krishnapatnam on the eastern coast, about 40 km from Nellore, became operational on Thursday with three out of its four berths being opened for regular traffic of cargo/container ships...

Manmohan Singh, Secretary, Infrastructure & Investment, said here on Thursday that the 4th berth too would be opened soon. Over Rs. 2,000 crores was invested by the private developer in the project thus far, he said. The new port, that will transform the economy around Nellore, will be formally dedicated to the nation by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on July 17...

Dr. Singh said four out of the five berths planned for another greenfield port developed at Gangavaram near Visakhapatnam were ready and it was expected to be operational in August to handle coal and iron ore...

DC
Limits of the Gangavaram port icreased Hyderabad, Aug 29: The government has favoured the Ganga-varam Port Limited by extending its limits and by denotifying another proposed port at nearby Mutyalammapalem. Mutyalammapalem now falls within the extended southern limits of the Gangavaram port.

Officials said this would benefit GPL since Mutyalammapalem could not be notified again as a separate port. The company need not seek permissions to take up activities in the area. The Infrastructure and Investment department issued a GO increasing the limits of the Gangavaram port. It it also issued another GO denotifying Mutyalammapalem stating that much of its area would overlap with the new limits.

Sources said that GPL had strongly lobbied with the government for the two orders in the wake of several Congress leaders including a powerful minister from north coastal districts of the state eyeing the yet-to-be developed port. "The Mutyalammapalem port has locational advantage because of natural draft and it also has got more depth than Gangavaram which was chosen because of land availability," said a senior port official.

The government was also under pressure from a few industrial houses to allot Mutyalammapalem port for development, though the GPL agreement says that no port related activity should be taken up in 30 km on either side. "A minister even suggested that the government broker a deal between the company intending to develop Mutyalammapalem and GPL to enable this," sources said.

Warburg Pincus buys 30% stake in new port in Andhra Pradesh (http://www.livemint.com/2008/09/05002201/Warburg-Pincus-buys-30-stake.html)


The cargo facilities at Gangavaram port, to be formally opened early next month, are fully mechanized


Bangalore: Private equity firm Warburg Pincus Llc. has invested around Rs150 crore for a 30% stake in India’s deepest port located at Gangavaram in Andhra Pradesh on the country’s eastern coast.
The Rs1,700 crore first phase of the new private port, located just 15km away from the Union government-owned Visakhapatnam port, started so-called trial operations in August. It will be formally inaugurated in the first week of October and have the capacity to handle 35 million tonnes (mt) of coal, iron ore, other bulk and general cargo a year.
Dropping anchor: Ships at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, the country’s busiest. However, Gangavaram is the deepest port with 20m depth which will help it handle bulk carriers of capacity up to 200,000 tonnes. Ashesh Shah / MintThe port has a water depth of up to 20m, deeper than any other port in the country, that will help it handle large bulk carriers with a cargo carrying capacity of up to 200,000 tonnes. Besides, the cargo handling facilities at Gangavaram are fully mechanized unlike many ports where loading and unloading is done manually.
Gangavaram Port Ltd, a company promoted by D.V.S. Raju, the co-founder of India’s fourth largest IT services firm Satyam Computer Services Ltd, won the deal from the Andhra Pradesh government to develop and operate the new port for 30 years beginning 2006.
A consortium of 13 banks led by State Bank of India has lent Rs1,200 crore to Gangavaram port for funding the phase one development of the project. The equity of around Rs500 crore has been contributed by Raju, the government of Andhra Pradesh and Warburg Pincus.
Raju, who was also founder-chairman of Hyderabad-based IT services firm VisualSoft Technologies Ltd, holds a 59% stake in the port company, while Andhra Pradesh government has a shareholding of 11%. Warburg Pincus holds 30% of the equity stake in Gangavaram Port Ltd, said a company executive who did not want to be named.

Warburg Pincus said it has invested in Gangavaram port, but declined to give details citing company policies and confidentiality clauses in the deal.
Gangavaram port has already poached a top customer from the rival Vizag port by signing on state-owned Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd that runs the
Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Vizag Steel currently imports about 4mt a year of coking coal, limestone, thermal coal and other such raw materials for its steel plant through Vizag port. The imports will rise to at least 6mt a year after the steel maker doubles capacity to 6.3mt from 3 mt by October 2009.
Vizag Steel also exports about 100,000 tonnes a year of finished steel products to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, the UAE and the US through Vizag port.

“Gangavaram port has a long term understanding with Vizag Steel. The steel-maker will shift its entire imports and exports to Gangavaram port, saving upwards of Rs150 crores a year on logistic costs,” said the same executive mentioned earlier.

A Vizag Steel spokesman confirmed that it was shifting to the new port but declined to give details.

“At a depth of 20m, customers can export or import cargoes on bigger bulk carriers and save substantially on ocean freight due to economies of scale as larger quantities of cargo can be transported at a time,” said T.V. Shanbhag, a shipping expert who was till recently adviser (shipping) with Mumbai-based shipping company Mercator Lines Ltd.

Vizag Steel currently ships raw materials on handymax carriers (that can load up to 50,000 tonnes) because the depth at Vizag port cannot accommodate bigger vessels. The inner harbour of Vizag port, where most of its cargo handling berths are located, has a depth of 11m.

Vizag port plans to deepen the inner harbour to 14m to accommodate ships that can carry 73,000-75,000 tonnes of dry bulk commodities.
Still, it would be nowhere near the new port in terms of depth. Vizag port handled 64.60mt of cargo in the 12 months to March this year.
Being a port owned by the state government, the private operator of Gangavaram port is free to fix its own tariffs without consulting a regulator, whereas the rates for the 11 union government-owned ports including Vizag port are set by the Tariff Authority for Major Ports.

Gangavaram port would thus be able to fix competitive rates to attract customers.

Visakhapatnam is the industrial nerve centre of Andhra Pradesh and is regarded as the gateway for trade with China and the Asean region.
“Soon the port will initiate expansion plans by doubling the capacity of the coal terminal, developing a dedicated liquid bulk terminal and a container terminal,” said the executive.

This is part of the company’s plan to boost the port’s capacity to handle over 100mt of cargo a year by 2015 with an investment of around Rs7,000 crore.

gangavaram port ready for inauguration (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?artid=8tuCcaqqJI0=&Title=Gangavaram+port+ready+for+inauguration&SectionID=e7uPP4|pSiw=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EH8HilNJ2uYAot5nzqumeA==&SEO=Sonia%20Gandhi)

VISAKHAPATNAM: The state-of-the-art deep-water greenfield seaport at Gangavaram, near here, is all set to start operations.

The management of the private port plans to invite UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to inaugurate it probably in the first of next month.

The port lies between the Yarada Hills in the north and Mukkoma Hill in the south. A creek in between these two hills has the naturally- formed Balacheruvu Lagoon where the port of Gangavaram has been developed.

In the first phase the port will have five berths – one for iron ore, one for coal and three for multipurpose berths. The depth at the harbour is 19.5 metres. A mechanised coal and iron ore discharge system for vessel sizes up to 200,000 DWT has been put in place. A mechanised wagon loading and wagon tippling system, new-generation mobile harbour cranes for lifting bulk cargo, coal and iron ore stackyards with storage capacity of approximately 1 MMT each have been readied. An ultra-modern cargo handling system has been installed.

The port’s location has several advantages. It is very close to the national and State highways and a railway line passes closeby. A railway line connecting the Gangavaram port with the Chennai- Visakhapatnam-Howrah rail corridor has been laid. A research and development yard with six interchangeable lanes for receipt and dispatch of rakes is in place.

The distance from the port yard to the rail siding will be about 2.5 km. A 3.8-km-long four-lane expressway connects the port with the National Highway No. 5.............

gangavaram port ready for inauguration (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?artid=8tuCcaqqJI0=&Title=Gangavaram+port+ready+for+inauguration&SectionID=e7uPP4|pSiw=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EH8HilNJ2uYAot5nzqumeA==&SEO=Sonia%20Gandhi)

... a master plan has been designed with facilities to handle up to 300,000 DWT vessels, flexibility for phased development and room for expansion for period of 50 years.
excellent!

WOW, thats a nice port!!

Vizag port waits for new chairman.

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Though the port has not been formally opened, it has already handled four, or more, vessels on a trial basis. Five berths are ready for operation in the first phase.
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Visakhapatnam, Oct. 29 Gangavaram port, built by a private consortium headed by D.S Raju and Co, is ready for inauguration, but the event is being delayed for the past few months, as the UPA Chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, has to give a date for the function. It is now learnt that she may agree to inaugurate the port in November, probably in the first week itself.

According to Mr M. Venkata Ramana Rao, the State Minister for Ports, the date has not been fixed, but it may take place in November. Though the port has not been formally opened, it has already handled four, or more, vessels on a trial basis. Five berths are ready for operation in the first phase. The berths and the other infrastructure have been built at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore.

Gangavaram port, it is apprehended, will emerge as a major rival to the main Visakhapatnam port, which has already slipped to the second position ever since the last fiscal from a position of pre-eminence for seven successive years.

Vizag port has handled 33 million tonnes of cargo in the first half of the current financial year, surpassing the target, but still finishing behind Kandla, and the port has to face much tougher competition once the new port gets going fully. At such a critical time, the Vizag port is without a full-fledged chairman. Mr K.R Kishore demitted office last month and for more than a month the Deputy Chairman, Mr M.S Rao, has been officiating as the in-charge chairman.

Trade union leaders are critical of the delay in appointing the new chairman. Mr V.V Rama Rao, a member of the VPT and trade union leader, feels the Government should expedite matters and appoint the Chairman immediately. “It sends the wrong signals at a time when the port has to gear up fully and face the new port, if the Government delays the decision. There should not be laxity on any front,” he said.

The Government should do everything possible to protect the interests of the main port, he said.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/2008/10/30/stories/2008103052072100.htm

Gangavaram port waits for Sonia Gandhi to launch operations (http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/09/stories/2009010958170300.htm)

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Gangavaram Port management is waiting eagerly for getting the consent of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for launching commercial operations even as it has handled a million tonne plus cargo ever since the first ship m.v. Timios Starros arrived on August 3, 2008.

The date of commissioning is getting delayed even as the scheduled commencement of operations was April 2008. “The Mumbai terror attacks and scaling up of security for Ms. Gandhi are also the reasons for the delay in getting a confirmed date from her. Delay or no delay, we are getting cargo vessels to keep us busy,” an official of Gangavaram Port Limited, told The Hindu.

Though the handling charges being a Greenfield port are higher than Visakhapatnam Port - the government run second best port in the country - Gangavaram Port is able to get bulk cargo due to its advantage being a fully mechanised futuristic port.

First phase

Of a Rs.1,700 crores investment in the first phase with a handling capacity of 35 million tonnes through five berths, a consortium of 13 banks led by SBI had lent a loan of Rs.1,200 crores to D.V.S. Raju-led group. In GPL, while Mr. Raju has 59 per cent stake, the State Government has been given 11 per cent equity in lieu of 2,800 acres it has been allotted. Visakhapatnam Port which is already losing committed cargo from Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited and other major industries due to competition posed by Gangavaram Port in the neighbourhood, is getting ready to augment its infrastructure after senior IAS officer Ajeya Kallam took over as its Chairman. “We are confident of facing the competition,” Mr. Kallam said. As part of its preparation, Visakhapatnam Port is developing night navigation, deepening of channels to handle bigger vessels and mechanised cargo handling.

Visakhapatnam Port is expected to finish second this year too having emerged as the frontrunner for seven years in a row till Kandla Port snatched away the top slot during last fiscal. According to trends, Kandla will retain the top position this year too with Visakhapatnam Port maintaining almost the same cargo handling figures of last financial year.

Visakhapatnam Port had handled 33.13 million tonnes during first half of 2008-09 as against 37.85 million tonnes by its arch-rival Kandla. During last fiscal, Visakhapatnam Port had recorded a throughput of 64.60 million tonnes.

Ambitious plans

Gangavaram Port management which wants to develop a gateway port to the world being the deepest multi-purpose port, has big plans. It is an all-weather port with a depth of 21 metres and capacity to handle Super Cape size vessels up to 200,000 DWT capacity. It can handle bulk, coal, iron ore, fertilizer, steel and wet cargo in future with its master plan envisaging construction of 29 berths with a capacity to handle 200 million tonnes throughput with single point mooring system to receive Very Large Cargo Vessels.

Date:01/05/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/05/01/stories/2009050158980300.htm
Gangavaram Port puts expansion plan on hold
Santosh Patnaik
It intends to focus first on winning the confidence of prospective clients
The satellite port has already completed its first phase, comprising five berths
As per the master plan, GPL will have 29 berths over a period of 50 years
VISAKHAPATNAM: Facing the impact of global slowdown, the Gangavaram Port Limited (GPL) is understood have decided to go slow on its expansion plan and instead focus on winning the confidence of prospective clients.

The satellite port, which commenced operations in August 2008, has already completed its first phase, comprising five berths, to achieve a cargo handling capacity of 35 million tonnes (mt). Due to market meltdown, slump in construction industry and lull in investment flow, the management wants to consolidate first and later shift to expansion mode. As per its master plan, GPL will have 29 berths over a period of 50 years.

Makes a mark: During 2008-09, it could make a mark on its first year of operation by handling 2.5 mt. According to reliable sources, the management wants to handle a throughput of 15 to 19 mt during current fiscal.

With an investment of Rs.1,800 crores during first phase, it has three multipurpose and one iron ore and coal berths with 24-hour mechanised handling facilities. Due to navigational channel and 21-metre draft, it can handle super cape ships with 2,00,000 DWT. There are plans to develop it into a world-class port with entire spectrum of cargoes and dedicated cargo-specific zones, a senior official said.

At present, it handles dry cargo and, in the master plan, a proposal is mooted to have marine oil terminal with single point mooring to allow Very Large Cargo Container vessels through sub-sea pipeline and tank form.

The port, which is yet to be commissioned formally, has attracted coking coal, thermal coal, iron ore, finished steel products from Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Jindal Steel, Steel Authority of India Limited...

^^ Grt news!

Date:12/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/12/stories/2009071255260600.htm
All set for Gangavaram port inauguration

VISAKHAPATNAM: Security in and around Gangavaram Port has been beefed up to prevent possible protests by aggrieved fishermen, who are on a warpath demanding rehabilitation and resettlement.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy is scheduled to inaugurate the port on Sunday, exactly a year after it was thrown open to ships on a trial basis. Senior officials in the city reviewed the arrangements to foil attempts by the fishermen displaced by the development of the port in the private sector by D.V.S. Raju consortium under Public-Private Partnership mode.

The first phase consists of five berths. The construction of the port was completed in a record time after agitation by all the Opposition parties and fishermen organisations was foiled with the deployment of heavy police force.

The displaced fishermen of Gangavaram and Dibbapalem are demanding a fishing jetty near the port and permanent jobs as per promise made by the State Government.

The port can handle Super Cape size vessels up to 2,00,000 DWT. It has the advantage of deep draft berths with several industries including Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, NTPC and Achyutapuram Special Economic Zone in its neighbourhood.

Date:13/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/13/stories/2009071353880100.htm

YSR dedicates Gangavaram port to nation

VISAKHAPATNAM: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy dedicated the Gangavaram port to the nation, developed by the State government and D.V.S. Raju-led consortium under the public-private partnership mode, at a glittering function here on Sunday.

The ultra modern deepest port in India was inaugurated by Dr. Reddy in the presence of a galaxy of VIPs, which included Union Minister of State for Human Resources D. Purandeswari, Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao, State Ministers Kanna Laxminarayana, P. Balaraju and B. Satyanarayana.
Proud moment

Stating that the commissioning of the port and the second one in the city was a moment of pride for the State in general and Visakhapatnam in particular, the Chief Minister said the Congress government was committed to creating world-class infrastructure. He said a World Bank study confirmed that the investment climate in Andhra Pradesh was quite conducive for industries.

Dr. Reddy complimented the Gangavaram Port management for completing work on the first phase of the port comprising five berths with an investment of Rs.1,800 crore in a record time and said the State government had drawn up a road map to develop a number of minor ports to promote trade and commerce.

The government had signed a concession agreement for the Gangavaram port with the consortium for 30 years and after its expiry they would review its extension.

Modern equipment: The new port, which became operational last year, has state-of-the-art highly mechanised cargo handling system to receive capsize vessels with a capacity of 2,00,000 DWT. Ms. Purandeswari in her address expressed satisfaction over the inauguration of the port and opined that some issues with regard to rehabilitation of affected fishermen should be sorted out on a top priority.

Gangavaram Port Chairman and Managing Director D.V.S. Raju said that the port with its deep draft berths and most advanced mechanised handling systems would act as a gateway for imports and exports from India.

Ports will be developed: CM
By By Our Correspondent Jul 13 2009 Visakhapatnam

July 12: The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, on Sunday dedicated the Gangavaram Port, the deepest port in India, to the nation at a simple function held at the port premises.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said development will be hastened if each district along the coastline had a port. The state has over 1,000 km of coastline. He said the state has already commissioned the Krishnapatnam Port in Nellore and soon Vanpic in Prakasam, Nizampatnam Port in Guntur and Mahilipatnam Port in Krishna district will be developed.

He said Gangavaram is the most modern port in the state and a perfect model for public-private partnership. The government will have total rights on the port, he added. “The DVS Raju consortium will operate the port for 30 years as per the agreement. If there is mutual understanding even after that, the deal may be extended for another 10 years,” Dr Reddy said. He said the Centre has identified Visakhapatnam as a petrochemical hub. “When the project takes shape, it will make way for a number of industries which will create a lot of job opportunities,” he added. On allegations of mishandling the rehabilitation process for Gangavaram and Dibbapalem, the Chief Minister said it will be completed soon and villages of both the places will get 300 jobs each. The recruitment will be completed by end of this month, he added.

The chairman and managing director, Mr D.V.S. Raju, said the Gangavaram port will serve as the gateway of the east giving boost to imports and exports in the region. On a different issue, the Chief Minister said Reliance gas will be allotted to the states by the Centre and not by the company. Dr Reddy said he has already taken up the matter with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and sent a letter to him. The price and the quota will be decided by the Centre, he added.

Source URL: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/ports-will-be-developed-cm-937

^^ Nice. It has already been a year since it was commissioned right?

Btw...why is this being not called Rajiv Port?

^^ :)
there is still time for that. perhaps they would get there as soon as they complete the R&R process ...

Date:13/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/13/stories/2009071357930300.htm
‘Gangavaram no threat to Vizag Port’

Staff Reporter
New port banking on saving demurrage charges: D. V. S. Raju
We spent a lot on creating breakwater and harbour area, Raju says
Says they will achieve breakeven if they handle 12-15 million tonnes

VISAKHAPATNAM: Expressing satisfaction over commissioning of a Greenfield port at Gangavaram, its main promoter and Chairman and Managing Director D.V.S. Raju said on Sunday that the new port would not be a threat to Visakhapatnam Port.

“The Visakhapatnam Port, which is in the government sector and a premier port has still 20 to 30 vessels waiting for berthing even after we went on trial operations last year,” Mr. Raju told reporters who met him. He, however, said they were banking on saving the demurrage charges the ships pay due to delay in berthing. “We have excellent mechanised all-weather handling systems in place. Though our handling charges are much more than others on account of being a new generation port, the port users could save a lot on demurrages by routing their cargo to Gangavaram,” he claimed.

To a question, he said they had spent a lot on creating breakwater and harbour area and had now facilities for adding nine more berths as part of second phase as and when required. In the first phase, the consortium has built five berths with a capacity to handle 35 million tonnes per annum. During 2009-10, due to recession, the management has set a target to handle 12 million tonnes. Dince it launched trial operations, it handled six million tonnes.

Mr. Raju said they would achieve breakeven once they handle 12 to 15 million tonnes and ruled out the possibility of gong for IPO in near future. As per their master plan, they wanted to expand the capacity to 200 million tonnes by increasing the number of berths to 29 anytime between 2015 and 2020.

^^ I checked their website (http://www.gangavaram.com/status/status12.asp). Not many updates off-late.

Gangavaram Port is a ultra modern deepest port of Indiahttp://sunrent.de/smileyhappy.ico ...............

Gangavaram port hopes to break even in 3 yrs

Gangavaram Port Limited (GPL), stated to be the deepest port in the country with a depth of 21 metre, is expecting to achieve break-even in the next 2-3 years, according to chief financial officer Pranav Choudhary.

GPL is a special purpose company promoted in a public-private partnership mode by D Venkata Satyanarayana Raju, founder chairman of Hyderabad-based IT services firm VisualSoft Technologies Limited.

While Raju holds 59.7 per cent stake in GPL, the state government has a stake of 10.3 per cent. Private equity firm Warburg Pincus, which has invested about Rs 150 crore, holds the remaining 30 per cent stake.

The port, which is capable of receiving Capesize vessels (largest dry bulk cargo vessels of the size of 200,000 DWT) had handled 27 million tonnes (mt) of cargo till March 2011 including coal, project cargo, limestone, iron ore, steel, blast furnace slag and fertilisers.

Choudhary told Business Standard that the port had now embarked upon a Rs 1,200-crore expansion plan that was scheduled to be completed in the next two years.

To be funded through a debt of Rs 950 crore and internal accruals of Rs 250 crore, the expansion programme involves setting up four additional berths including a dedicated berth for handling of coal and three multipurpose berths.

Following the expansion programme, Choudhary said, the handling capacity of the port would increase from the existing 17 mt to 45 mt per annum.

"We will start the work in the next three months," Choudhary said, adding the overall infrastructure of the port would also be strengthened by installing state-of-the-art mechanised bulk material handling equipment, additional rail sidings and undertaking ancillary civil works.

He said GPL was also developing a green belt in an area of 240 acres with 60,000 plants and had established an in-house nursery for raising 100,000 saplings annually.

The Rs 1,700-crore Phase I of the port on the east coast near Visakhapatnam commenced commercial operations in April 2009. It had achieved cash break-even in 2010-11 with a turnover of about Rs 250 crore.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/gangavaram-port-hopes-to-break-even-in-3-yrs/447560/