Of the 12 major ports in India, two are in Chennai - the Chennai Port and the Ennore Port. While Chennai port is all set for a major expansion (starting off with the Port-Madhuravoyil elevated corridor), the Ennore Port too is in an equal mode of expansion - the development of both ports being guaranteed by highly promising hinterland. A dedicated thread could better focus on the developments of these two hub ports of Chennai.

Please post all projects related to Chennai and Ennore ports (and all port-related activities) in this thread.

Both ports set to become hub for car exports.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/12/27/images/2008122751191601.jpg
A file picture of Hyundai cars being loaded for exports on to a car carrier at Chennai port.

Chennai, Dec. 26 Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL), the Japanese multi-modal transport group, has formed a new company in India to transport cars from Ennore and Chennai ports. Called MOL Auto Logistics (India) Pvt Ltd, the Chennai-based company will operate car carriers from the two major ports to nearby Asian countries from next year, according to an official.

Exclusive carriers

“We will run exclusive car carriers for Nissan to Ennore port and for Hyundai to Chennai port,”from the 2009 end and for Hyundai from Chennai from 2009 first quarter,” the official said. Mitsui will transport cars from Nissan’s upcoming plant in Oragadam (near Chennai) to Ennore, and Hyundai’s vehicles from Sriperumbudur plant to the Chennai port, he said.

MOL arm

Mr Satoshi Katada, Resident Officer of Mitsui O.S.K. Bulk Shipping (Asia Oceania) Pte Ltd, will be the representative of the new company, which will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of MOL. The new company will have an initial paid-up capital of ¥40 million (Rs 2 crore).

It will be handling inland transport service by car trailer in India and port services for completed export cars, according to information available in the company’s Web site.

The move — to start a new company — is a response to rising production capacity of completed cars for India’s domestic market and export trades.

Export volume

Since export volume of completed cars from India is expected to increase, MOL established this company in Chennai to provide inland transport and export-related port services.

Transport services

Utilising the know-how, inland transport of completed cars accumulated in Thailand, China and Indonesia, the new company will provide a range of safe and reliable transport services, the company said.

Eyeing other car makers

Both Chennai and Ennore ports are set to become hub for car exports from South India. After Hyundai, the two ports are looking at other manufacturers.

French car-maker Renault SA and its affiliate Nissan Motor of Japan has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu Government for setting up a manufacturing facility near Chennai. It plans to export around two lakh cars every year through Ennore port.

Multilevel parking

The ChPT is considering a multi-level parking yard on a build, own and transfer basis at a cost of Rs 24.90 crore. Hyundai exported around 1.15 lakh cars during 2006-07 from the Chennai port and had plans to increase to two lakh cars annually by 2009.

On its part, the Ennore port plans to construct an exclusive terminal for cars at a cost of Rs 140 crore.

The berth’s depth of 12 metres would enable loading of 5,000 cars at a time, according to sources.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/12/27/stories/2008122751191600.htm

Nice topic Rasna boy :cheers:

----------------------------------------------------

The thread deserves some pictures:

http://tm.dinakaran.com/23122008/TM_23-12-08_E1_02-03%20CNI.jpg

http://www.tamilnow.com/gallery/chennai/parrys/chennai-port-3739.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_tli8YzjXt-8/Ro3eyAg82TI/AAAAAAAABy4/Mf8Fw2a654s/IMG_1038.JPG

http://i5.tinypic.com/300v9zq.jpg

collected from various sources including ssc :)

Of the 12 major ports in India, two are in Chennai - the Chennai Port and the Ennore Port. While Chennai port is all set for a major expansion (starting off with the Port-Madhuravoyil elevated corridor), the Ennore Port too is in an equal mode of expansion - the development of both ports being guaranteed by highly promising hinterland. A dedicated thread could better focus on the developments of these two hub ports of Chennai.

Please post all projects related to Chennai and Ennore ports (and all port-related activities) in this thread.

Nice Thinking Rasnaboy.

Dedicated thread is a required for Chennai Port developments and activities.

Of the 12 major ports in India, two are in Chennai - the Chennai Port and the Ennore Port. While Chennai port is all set for a major expansion (starting off with the Port-Madhuravoyil elevated corridor), the Ennore Port too is in an equal mode of expansion - the development of both ports being guaranteed by highly promising hinterland. A dedicated thread could better focus on the developments of these two hub ports of Chennai.

Please post all projects related to Chennai and Ennore ports (and all port-related activities) in this thread.


Rasnaboy,
a very good initiative!! would'nt it make sense to also post news regarding
The L&T Port/shipyard project at Kattuppalli and the Cheiyyur port projects, as they both come under greater Chennai area?

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/8874/27decportkl8.jpg

CHENNAI: The 125-year-old Chennai Port, which is the second largest port in the country after the one in Mumbai, is slowly losing its importance due to the ongoing truckers strike, according to industrial analysts in the city.

Chennai Port was a major travel port before becoming a major container port a few years ago. Its container traffic crossed one million twenty-foot equivalent (TEUs) for the first time in 2008. According to the exim fraternity, the port was the main reason for the booming industry in Chennai and contributed to the city’s development.

From handling a meager volume of cargo in the early years, consisting chiefly of imports of oil and motors and the export of groundnuts, granite and ores, it has established itself as one of the major ports in the country. In the current fiscal, the cargo handled is expected to cross 50 million tonnes here.

Car exports from this port are expected to touch 300,000 by next year.

Chennai Port handles a variety of cargo, including iron ore, coal, granite, fertilizers, petroleum products, containers, automobiles and several other types of general cargo items.

Due to the increase in container traffic, another mega container terminal is being planned here.

At present, the Chennai Container Terminal Limited of the UAE-based Dubai Port World handles the first container terminal inside the port. Each day, it handles nearly 2,500 (TEUs) containers, 1,500 of which are imported and the rest exported. About 3,000 trailers and 500 tippers are used for transporting the containers, coal, fertilizers and ores from Chennai Port.

Though there was no response from the officials on the ongoing truckers’ strike, which started on December 20, demanding good roads in North Chennai, it has forced traders to think about the alternative options.

The strike also forced automobile and manufacturing industries to think over the safe and undisturbed trade in future, possibly through other nearest ports, including the fast developing Ennore Port. In August, the Nissan-Renault joint venture has selected the Ennore Port over the Chennai Port to export cars to be produced at its upcoming plant in Oragadam, some 50 km from Chennai.

The plant, which is to start production in two years, aims to export four lakh cars annually. It is being developed with an investment of Rs 4,500 crore. According to industry experts, the fast emerging Ennore Port would cut into the revenues of the Chennai Port in the near future, if the government fails to upgrade infrastructure.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Chennai+Port+losing+importance?&artid=gIA2cGsvcec=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=wIcBMLGbUJI=&SectionName=rSY|6QYp3kQ=&SEO=

Thanks for the response guys! :)

Nice Pics, Arul! Btw, do you have pics on Ennore Port?

Rasnaboy,
a very good initiative!! would'nt it make sense to also post news regarding
The L&T Port/shipyard project at Kattuppalli and the Cheiyyur port projects, as they both come under greater Chennai area?

Thanks KV Sir! Will try to find more on that! :)

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved the construction of a 18.3-kilometre four-lane elevated road from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal in Tamil Nadu under the seventh phase of the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP).

The project is expected to provide an all-time road without any traffic regulatory obstacle so that the port can be approached directly from the outskirts of Chennai without disturbing the city traffic.

The project, to cost Rs 1,530 crore, involves construction of standalone ring roads, bypasses, grid separators, flyovers, elevated roads, tunnels, road over-bridges, underpasses, service roads, among others, through public-private partnership (PPP). The project is expected to be completed within three years. The project is part of the Chennai port modernisation scheme where major upgrade and expansion of the road and railway network within the port will be executed in a phased manner to facilitate the smooth handling of the increased volume of traffic inside the port.

The state government has agreed to the alignment of this elevated road and also to carry out the land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement on a 50:50 cost basis between the Chennai Port Trust and the Tamil Nadu government.

The Chennai Port Trust will initially bear the entire cost and subsequently 50 per cent of the cost reimbursed from the state government.

In another decision, the Cabinet has approved an expenditure of Rs 6,000 crore for repairing, renovating and restoring water bodies during the 11th Plan period. The scheme will cover about 23,000 water bodies with a command area of 1.6 million hectares. On completion, the project will create an additional irrigation potential of 750,000 hectares.

The Cabinet also gave its approval for setting up a National Meat & Poultry Processing Board to be headquartered in New Delhi.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/cabinet-panel-approves-new-road-to-chennai-port/22/06/344457/

Industries in and around Chennai have lost around Rs 4,000 crore due to the ongoing strike by trailer operators at the Chennai port, which entered the ninth day on Sunday. Similarly feeder operators are also reportedly making losses to the tune of $140,000 daily.

The Trailer Owners Association (TOA) decided not to move any container to and from the Chennai port from midnight of December 19, to draw the attention of the Centre and the state government to the poor condition of Ennore-Manali road, which handles over 70 per cent of the cargo. The 10-year-old Ennore-Manalii road connectivity project is yet to see the light of the day.

As on Sunday, over 11,000 import and export containers were stuck inside the port, a senior industry representative said. On an average, 3,000 containers move in and out of the port. These containers carry mainly raw materials, components and machinery, worth Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

Of the total 3,000 containers, imports comprise 50 per cent. Sources said raw materials and components meant for industries, including for automobile majors, accounts for 90 per cent valued at around Rs 1,500 crore. If these raw materials and components are converted into finished products the value could be over Rs 4,000 crore.

The value of export, on the other hand, has become nil for the last 10 days and is estimated to be around of Rs 1,500 crore.

Meanwhile, a leading feeder operator said there were about six feeder vessel operators connecting the Chennai port with various international ports including transshipment ports of Singapore and Colombo. These are now operating with zero export containers for the last one week.

Each operator is losing $20,000 per day on an average. In fact, one vessel service has already called off.

Additional Rs 2 crore sanctioned for the project

The trade and industry are hopeful that the strike would be withdrawn on Monday, following a board meeting of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) held here on Saturday.

During the meeting, an additional Rs 2 crore was sanctioned to expedite the road strengthening work that is currently under way on the stretch. Earlier, NHAI had sanctioned Rs 4.5 crore for the work.

The board, which is again planning to meet on January 9, is expected to take a final call on the project. The value of the project, to be implemented through a special purpose vehicle, has increased to over Rs 600 crore now, as compared with Rs 150 crore.

Meanwhile a press release from the Chennai Port Trust on Saturday said of the 9km stretch of the Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti road, 7 km has already been laid with bitumen and work on the remaining 2 km is being executed with the assistance of Chennai Port, Ennore Port Ltd and NHAI through the Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation.

A total of Rs 13.10 crore has been earmarked for repairing the Manali Oil Refinery Road and the Inner Ring Road, the release said.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/chennai-industries-take-rs-4000-cr-hit/21/41/344536/

The country’s major ports, excluding Ennore Port, have reported 25 per cent increase in net surplus at Rs 2,809.69 crore in 2007-08, compared with Rs 2,236.90 crore in 2006-07. Their income rose to Rs 7,571.06 crore from Rs 6,867.52 crore a year ago, an increase of 10 per cent.

These ports include Kolkata (including Haldia), Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Tuticorin, Cochin, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Mumbai, Jawaharalal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), and Kandla.

According to Indian Ports Association (IPA) sources, total expenditure of these ports rose 2 per cent to Rs 4,761.37 crore from Rs 4,630.62 crore in 2006-07. Expenditure on salaries and wages rose 20 per cent to Rs 1,507.83 crore, from Rs 1,250.27 crore in 2006-07. As on March 31, 2008, manpower available at these ports was 61,165, compared with 63,193 in 2006-07.

Expenditure on dredging (capital and maintenance) came down by 7 per cent to Rs 543.86 crore compared with Rs 587.13 crore in the year-ago period, while the per-tonne handling cost came down by 2 per cent to Rs 68.85 compared with Rs 70.11 during the same period last year.

The number of vessels called at the major ports, including Ennore, rose to 21,606 in 2007-08, compared with 20,284 a year ago, an increase of 6 per cent.

Cargo traffic increased by 11 per cent to 519 million tonnes in 2007-08 from 463 million tonnes in 2006-07. Imports registered 10 per cent increase to 277 million tonnes from 250 million tonnes while exports rose to 208 million tonnes from 185 million tonnes, an increase of 12 per cent.

Container traffic rose 21 per cent to six million TEUs in 2007-08 compared with 5 million TEUs in 2006-07. JNPT continued to be number one in container traffic.

The number of containers handled by the port in 2007-08 was four million TEUs. It was followed by Chennai port, which handled 1 million TEUs, compared with 0.8 million TEUs in 2006-07.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/major-ports-clock-25-rise-in-surplus/21/06/345275/

Cross-posting from Chennai Projects Updates Thread...

Confident that the present economic downturn will not hit its ambitious Rs2,000 crore shipyard plan near Chennai, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) said that to begin with it they would start building naval ships, particularly frigates and warships.
“Our shipbuilding plans are not focussed on the kind of ships where the demand is low. We are not focussed on shipbuilding as a total specturm. We are not looking at bulk shipping. We are looking at niche areas of shipbuilding,” L&T Board member MV Kotwal said.
“We would start with a lot of naval ships such as warships and frigates. We want to build this yard with the most advanced system. At present, Navy’s demand is unfulfilled,” he said.
In 2008, L&T signed an agreement with the Tamil Nadu government to set up a shipyard in Kattupalli, near Chennai, at a cost of Rs2,000 crore.
Justifying the move to build naval vessels, Kotwal said, “We have got a very good position with regard to naval equipment is concerned. Navy has been quite positive on indigenisation in lot of things.”
If you look at the long term, Navy has definitely got a plan. There will be a large requirement much exceeding the capacity, he said.
“That is where we see a definite potential,” Kotwal said.

http://www.livemint.com/2009/01/11100311/LampT-plans-to-build-Rs2k-cr.html

Ports fall short of target

Port traffic in the country has nearly doubled since 2000-01 but there has been no commensurate increase in port capacity. As a result, Indian ports are low on efficiency.

Figures released recently by the Indian Ports Association show that in the first nine months of the current fiscal, traffic growth in the country’s major ports was 3.43 per cent, at 391.8 million tonnes (mt), compared to 378.8 mt in the same period last fiscal.

However, the shortfall from the target of 426.3 mt was 8.10 per cent. Except Ennore and Kandla, no other ports achieved the targets set for them for the period, the extent of shortfall ranging from more than 15 per cent (Haldia and Paradip) to less than 1 per cent (Visakhapatnam). An interesting feature is that with a 9.63 per cent growth in traffic, at 44.1 mt during the period under review, Jawaharlal Nehru port (JNPT) climbed to third position, displacing Chennai.

The total traffic handled by major ports in the last quarter (October-December 2008) was 130 mt, compared to 134.6 mt in the same period last year — a drop of 3.42 per cent.

In fact, the iron ore traffic during the period, at 23.5 mt (24.5 mt) recorded a drop of more than 4 per cent. On the east coast, Visakhapatnam and Chennai ports experienced a sharp drop in iron ore throughput — Visakhapatnam 36 per cent at 3.2 mt (5 mt) and Chennai 37 per cent at 1.6 mt (2.5 mt).

Paradip, however, was an exception. At a throughput of 3.2 mt (2.9 mt), the growth in Paradip was more than 12 per cent. In fact, if we consider the total traffic handled by these three ports during the last quarter of 2008, we will find that except Paradip, the two other ports, namely, Chennai and Visakhapatnam, posted a negative growth — Visakhapatnam 12.4 per cent and Chennai 11.9 per cent. Paradip posted a positive growth, a meagre 0.5 per cent at 10.9 mt (10.8 mt).

On the west coast, Kandla posted 4.95 per cent growth at 17.8 mt (17 mt) during the quarter under review and retained the number one position but two other major ports, namely, Mumbai and JNPT, posted negative growth — Mumbai 17.73 per cent at 12.3 mt (15 mt) and JNPT 4.17 per cent at 13.757 mt (14.3 mt).

Box traffic

The container throughput during the nine-month period ended December 2008 at 51,40,000 TEUs showed a drop of more than 8 per cent from the target and a growth of about 5 per cent over the same period of last year.

However, in the October-December quarter 2008, the container throughput at 15,85,000 TEUs registered a decline of 4.75 per cent as compared to the throughput of 16,64,000 TEUs handled in the same period of the previous year. In fact, the country’s biggest container handling port JNPT posted a negative growth in container throughput during the quarter under review — 9,55,000 TEUs (10,31,000 TEUs).

Till recently, the ports were operating at 90 per cent capacity utilisation (as against the world average of 70 per cent) due to stagnant capacity which, in turn, lowered inefficiency.

Boost efficiency

The port traffic in the country has nearly doubled since 2000-01 (281.mt) but there has been no commensurate increase in port capacity. As a result, Indian ports are low on efficiency. According to one estimate, the time taken for clearing import cargo and shipping export cargo in Indian ports is 21 days and 19 days, respectively.

To tackle the capacity constraint, 76 berth construction projects are proposed to be taken up under the National Maritime Development Programme, to be implemented by 2011-12.

But does the solution lie in creating more berths? Perhaps not. While the construction of a berth will require an estimated Rs 50 crore on an average, the infrastructure needed to support the berth will cost many times more.

What is, therefore, needed is more efficient utilisation of existing berths. For stepping up infrastructure support, improving connectivity to the hinterland is critical.

According to one estimate, in terms of railway costs, Indian shippers incur 7.9 cents per km, compared to 2 cents in Canadian railways. The beyond-port logistics is plagued by poor planning and infrastructure which, in turn, clogs the ports.

Scrapping antiquated equipment and installing new, state-of-the art equipment too is important. Improving the draft should receive greater attention.

Fortunately, the NMDP also provides for projects for channel deepening, equipment acquisition and development of connectivity. How many of them will be actually implemented during the stipulated period is, of course, another matter.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/01/19/stories/2009011950180600.htm

The Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways Thiru. T.R. Baalu, in a meeting with the Chairmen of all Major Ports, yesterday reviewed the progress of the ongoing projects in all the Major Ports of the country. During the course of the review, the Minister discussed the status of projects vis-à-vis the constraints being faced by the Ports in their implementation.

Some of the important projects where the work is in full swing are the Rs.1,300-crore Offshore Container Terminal at Mumbai Port, Rs.2,118-crore International Container Transshipment Terminal at Cochin Port, Rs.495-crore Second Container Terminal at Chennai Port, Rs.488-crore Iron Ore Terminal, Rs.399-crore Coal Terminal and Rs.249-crore Marine Liquid Terminal at Ennore Port. The other projects that are in pipeline are the Deep Draft Iron Ore and Coal Terminal at Paradip Port, Stand-Alone Container Handling Facility at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Second Container Terminal at Tuticorin Port, four Multipurpose Berth Projects at Kandla Port, Iron Ore Terminals at New Mangalore and Mormugao Ports and two Berth Development Projects at a cost of over Rs.150 crores at the Visakhapatnam Port. Capital dredging projects at a cost of Rs.90 crores at Ennore Port and at a cost of Rs.253 crores at Paradip Port are also in progress and are expected to be completed in end-January and end-June this year, respectively.

The Minister also reviewed the progress of port connectivity projects as well as modernisation and upgradation of equipment projects at all the Major Ports. The draft position at Kolkata Port and Haldia Dock Complex was also discussed. The Chairman, Kolkata Port Trust, informed that with the deployment of seven dredgers, the deterioration of draft at Haldia has been arrested.

Thiru T.R. Baalu urged all the Port Chairmen to monitor implementation of all the projects to expedite their completion within the stipulated time frame.

The review meeting was attended by the Chairmen of all Major Ports, Executive Director from the Railways, Secretary, Department of Shipping, besides senior officers of the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=46929

Chennai: Southern Railway has registered a 20 per cent increase in originating earnings till December 2008 as compared to last year. Goods earnings registered an increase of 23 per cent and passenger earnings that of 17 per cent.

Unfurling the national flag at the Southern Railway office here on the occasion of the Republic Day, General Manager Rakesh Chopra said the number of passengers carried by the zone had increased by 11 per cent. It was now carrying additional 90,000 non-suburban and 80,000 suburban passengers daily as compared to last year. To deal with these additional passengers, 1,500 special trains were run and 6,000 extra coaches were added to various trains. Thirty additional passenger reservation centres and unreserved ticketing centres had been opened. Importance was being given to increasing the mobility on the system as it had helped the railway to improve its punctuality. Of the 190 pairs of trains run daily by the railway, 116 pairs of trains run at 110 kmph.

With the ports situated in Southern Railway set for major expansion, the railway was executing various projects to handle more cargo from the ports. Finalisation of plans with the Chennai Port for laying two more lines between Korukupet and the Port is at an advanced stage. For the Ennore Port, the railway would lay an exclusive line connecting Attipattu and Puttur. Doubling between Villupuram and Madurai and electrification up to Tuticorin and Nagercoil would ensure speedier transport of goods from the Tuticorin Port to destinations both in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The General Manager inspected the guard of honour of the Railway Protection Force.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/27/stories/2009012751880500.htm

Chennai Port and Canada’s Port of Halifax have signed an agreement for cooperation in port management activities, it was announced here Wednesday. “The MOU (memorandum of understanding) will enable sharing of knowledge in managing ports and terminals,” Chennai Port chairman K. Suresh told reporters.

According to Halifax Port chief executive and president Karen Oldfield, the pact is the first one it had signed with a South East Asian port.

Oldfield said 35 percent of the Canadian port’s traffic is from South East Asia, and nearly a third of that is from India.

Agreeing that the global economic downturn has affected the port business, she said traffic from South East Asian countries has nonetheless gone up.

The container terminal at Halifax Port handles around 1.5 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) and has the capacity to handle 2.5 million TEUs.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/chennai-port-signs-pact-with-canadian-port_100148133.html

CHENNAI: Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu will inaugurate on February 7 a semi-mechanised closed conveyor system for moving coal to stockyard, according to Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) Chairman K. Suresh.

Talking to newsmen here on Wednesday after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of Halifax, he said inter-carting of coal by trailers from wharf to stockyard would be stopped once the Rs.42-crore conveyor system was inaugurated.

The coal would be transported by the conveyor from the wharf (Jawahar Dock), to the stockyard near INS Adyar.

The second container terminal will become operational by May.

Pre-qualifiers have been asked to submit Request For Proposal for the mega terminal container, he said.

The ChPT entered into a sister-port relationship agreement with the Canada-based Port of Halifax for cooperation in maritime transportation, port development and mutual promotion of the ports.

The ChPT planned to draw on the expertise of the Port of Halifax in the field of containers, car carriers and cruise vessels.

The agreement would cover exchange of experts, technical cooperation in port management covering operations of container terminals, knowledge, tourism development and development of trade between two ports,

Karen Oldfield, president and CEO, Port of Halifax, said currently, of the 1.5 million container traffic handled at Port of Halifax, 35 per cent came from South East Asia and one-third from India.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/29/stories/2009012959620900.htm

Radiation Monitors To Be Installed To Comply With Intn’l Code


Chennai: Chennai Port is in for a security upgradation, with the authorities initiating a slew of measures including installation of radiation monitors. It has also called for tenders to install 21 metal detectors, 19 door-frame metal detectors and two folding-type metal detectors to be set up in the port premises.
The new measures are being taken to comply with the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPSC), Chennai Port Trust chairman K Suresh told The Times Of India.
He said the radiation monitors are meant for screening radio activity of materials transported in and out of the port, both by trucks and by visitors. The port trust has called for the tender for price quotations and a final decision would be taken after calculating the expenses.
“We have to see the cost of installation of radiation monitors and will decide whether it is worth going for it. This is not compulsory under ISPSC,” Suresh said.
As per the budgetary offer, the parties should design, supply, install and commission the radiation monitors at various gates of the port. There will be two types of monitors — truck monitors to monitor the gates where trucks move and pole type monitors for the pedestrian’s gate. The budgetary offer is for design, supply, installation and commissioning of six pairs of pole radiation monitors and 12 truck monitors.
Tenders have been called for 19 micro processor-based fixed-type doorframe metal detectors that can detect all ferrous and non-ferrous metals, weapons, conductive metal alloys and ferrites. They should also be capable of detecting metals as small as 25 cubic mm.
Two more folding-type metal detectors with similar specifications will be installed at the gates for extra security.
“The security measures are satisfactory in Chennai port and with the installation of the new equipment, it will be better,” Suresh said.
Following the recent Mumbai terror attacks, coastal towns and ports have been on high alert.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOICH/2009/02/01&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00300&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T

Some solution for open coal storage system in Chennai City port: :)

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2009/02/07/9/Img/Ad0090807.png

TOI

Any idea, whether it is going to be commissioned or just foundation stone for the project?

New system for unloading coal at Chennai port to help reduce pollution

Special Correspondent

It has been installed at a cost of Rs.43 crore

—Photo:R. Ragu

Focus on infrastructure: T.R. Baalu, Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, inaugurating the semi-mechanised closed coal conveyor system at the Chennai port on Saturday.

CHENNAI: The Chennai port on Saturday got a semi-mechanised closed coal conveyor system for unloading coal, which will help reduce pollution.

Union Minister of Shipping and Road Transport T.R.Baalu, inaugurating the new system, said coal was the major cargo for the port. Of the 57.15 million tonnes of cargo handled during the last financial year, about 10 million tonnes was coal. As its unloading was causing pollution in and around the port, the administration had decided to shift coal cargo to the new Ennore Port. As it would take at least 5 years to shift the entire coal operation to the new port, the administration was now spraying water on the cargo through sprinkler systems to reduce pollution. To reduce it still further, the port had installed the new system at a cost of Rs.43 crore.

Stating that other improved infrastructure was being provided to the port, he said there was a mismatch between the capacity and the cargo handled by the port.
MoU signed

On the occasion a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Indian Maritime University and the Chennai Port Trust for sharing infrastructure facilities. As per the MoU, the port would provide necessary training to the varsity students on ships and in port activities. Indian Maritime University Vice-Chancellor P.Vijayan said that the university would give preference to wards of Port Trust employees in admission. M.Naganathan, vice-chairman of the State Planning Commission, said that despite recession, industrial growth in the State, especially in the information sector, had not been affected. K.Suresh, chairman of the Chennai Port Trust, also spoke.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/08/stories/2009020859810700.htm

Cross-posting from "Chennai Projects Updates Thread-III"...

The Chennai Port Trust (CPT) is mulling over an investment of Rs.300 crore to construct a cruise marina.

Currently, the feasibility study is being carried out and the feasibility report is likely to be ready by March 2009. The proposed project is likely to be completed by the end-2009. Apart from this, plans are afoot to construct the ro-ro terminal at an investment outlay of Rs.48 crore. CPT will invite the EoIs for the proposed project in March and the project will be completed by May 2009. The project would involve an investment of Rs 48 crore. The new terminal will have parking capacity for around 6,000 cars.

http://www.projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?nid=25317

India's southern port of Chennai has extended the bidding deadline to March 9 for its planned deep-water container terminal project, estimated to cost $750 million.

The original deadline for submission of request for qualifications was Feb. 11. The move comes after the port authority held a pre-application meeting with prospective bidders on Jan. 21.

Current plans on the estimated $750 million project include a 1.2 mile-long facility with a 59-foot draft that can be increased to 72 feet, allowing 15,000-TEU vessels to berth.

The project, on a 30-year concession, is expected to take three to four years to complete after award of the contract. When complete, it would have annual capacity of 4 million TEUs.

Chennai, India's second-largest box hub after the Port of Nhava Sheva, handled 1.1 million TEUs in fiscal 2007-08, up from 881,586 TEUs in 2006-07.

http://www.joc.com/articles/news.asp?section=OCEAN&sid=47859

ENNORE: The Ennore port will soon get the ‘Mini Ratna’ status, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T. R. Baalu said on Friday.

Inaugurating new facilities at the port, 30 km north of Chennai, Mr. Baalu said the port was formed during 2005-06 under the Companies Act. At that time, it earned a revenue of Rs. 9 crore. In the next fiscal, the revenue went up to Rs. 30.64 crore, and during 2007-08, it stood at Rs. 34.88 crore. During the current fiscal up to December, the revenue stood at Rs. 37.59 crore. When a company achieved Rs. 30 crore in revenue for three years on end, it would be made ‘Mini Ratna,’ he said.

Mr. Baalu said the Union Government had allocated Rs.21,815 crore for the shipping sector in the State in the past five years. The Tuticorin port had surpassed its target for cargo handling: it handled 21,048 million metric tonnes against the target of 20,385 million metric tonnes. The Chennai Port Trust’s revenue had grown. During 2003-04, its revenue stood at Rs. 74.18 crore, and in 2007-08 it rose to Rs. 431.26 crore.

State Planning Commission Vice-Chairman M. Naganathan said that in the past five years, Rs. 1 lakh crore was spent on improving roads and the shipping sector in the State.

He distributed sports kit to schoolchildren of Kalanchi.

A marine liquid terminal, a deepened port basin and a newly laid road in the port, all created at the cost of Rs. 350 crore, were dedicated to the nation.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/21/stories/2009022152980500.htm

Chennai, Feb. 23 The Shipping Ministry plans to delegate financial powers to major port trusts by nearly 10 times to around Rs 500 crore to speed up implementation of various projects at the ports, according to Mr Rakesh Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Ports), Department of Shipping.

The Ministry’s move will help ports speed up smaller projects to enhance the port capacity.

However, the port trusts still need to get first the environment clearance for projects, he told Business Line.

According to the National Maritime Development Programme, the country’s major ports will increase the handling capacity to around 1,500 million tonnes from the current 532 mt. Currently, the port trusts have powers to decide on projects worth up to Rs 50 crore. Above this amount, the project goes to the Centre, then to the inter-Ministerial Group and the Planning Commission for clearance. “At each stage there is a delay,” he said.

According to Mr Srivastava, despite the current recession, the Ministry has not reduced its annual target of handling 576 mt at major ports for the fiscal ending March 2009.

“Though it will be difficult to achieve, we are still growing and hopefully meet the target.”

Till January of the current fiscal, the country’s major ports handled 436 mt of cargo, a three per cent increase over the corresponding period of previous year.

Mr Srivasatava said the Ministry is likely to give the security clearance shortly to Ennore Port Ltd for the Rs 1,300-crore container terminal.

The terminal will have a quay length of 1,000 m and a capacity to handle around 1.50 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units).

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/02/24/stories/2009022450421200.htm

There has been a robust growth in the global sea borne containerized trade which has grown at a rate of 11.43% for the last 5 years. In Indian context Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of container cargo has been 16.10%. The need for capacity augmentation in Indian Ports for handling containerized cargo has thus assumed significance. In this scenario, development of a world class container terminal at Ennore Port in Tamil Nadu as part of the National Maritime Development Programme is an important step towards capacity augmentation in Southern Indian Ports.

The proposed container terminal project at Ennore Port has world class features. It has a continuous quay length of 1000 metres and will have an area of 5 lakh sq.mts. for the terminal. The terminal will have the alongside depth of 16m. The container terminal at Ennore Port will be designed so as to accommodate container vessels of 14,500 TEUs. The project is estimated to cost Rs.1407 crores.

The container terminal at Ennore Port is being developed through Public Private Partnership on BOT basis under a concession agreement with a concession period of 30 years. The development of the terminal, its operation, maintenance etc. would be done by a Concessionaire who would be selected through global competitive bidding process. Revenue share offered by eligible bidders is the criteria for selection of the Concessionaire. The concession agreement to be signed between by the Port and the selected Concessionaire will be based on the model and the guidelines given by the Government of India in this regard.

The commercial operationalisation of the project is expected to happen in 36 months from the date of award of concession. It is expected that the project would become operational by 2012-2013. After commissioning of this project, a long pending demand of trade and industry in the region would get fulfilled.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=48107

^^

Foundation laid for India's longest container terminal

http://epaper.mmnews.in/2722009/epaperimages/2722009/2722009-md-hr-1/16845328.jpg

malarmalar

^^ Kudu's to T.R. Balu...
Done a great job for TN in last 5 Years...:)

The Rs.1,407-crore facility can handle three mainline vessels simultaneously

CHENNAI: The foundation stone for a new container terminal at the Ennore port was laid at a function here on Saturday.

The new terminal will be constructed at a cost of Rs.1,407 crore. It will have a continuous quay to a length of 1,000 metres and alongside depth of 16 metres. It can handle 1.5 million twenty feet equivalent units (TEUs).

It is also designed to handle even the largest container ship in the world up to the size of 14,500 TEUs.

It can handle three mainline vessels simultaneously.

T. R. Baalu, Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, said the capacity of Ennore Port Limited (EPL) had increased by 36 per cent in the last four years. The port would help in a major way for importing coal.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone, N. Veeraswami, Electricity Minister, said at present the nearly 90 lakh tonnes of coal was imported through the port.

This would increase to 3.5 crore tonnes in 2013-14.

Similarly, the EPL had earned good revenue by exporting iron ore mined from Karnataka.

M.Naganathan, vice-chairman, State Planning Commission, K.Suresh, Chennai Port Trust Chairman, P.Vijayan, Vice-Chancellor, Indian Maritime University, were among those who spoke.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/01/stories/2009030159290500.htm

The Cochin Port will soon have gama ray scanners installed in its premises to screen the containers for any arms and radioactive substances.

The move to install scanners was taken after all the ports in the country submitted a detailed proposal with the Union Government to enhance the monitoring system in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist episode and intelligence inputs that there were chances of shipment of nuclear arms to India in containers.

“We have submitted a proposal to the Union Government for installing the scanners at the Port and the government has started the procedures for the same,” said Port Trust chairman N Ramachandran.

Sources in the Customs Department said the gama ray scanners would be installed at all major ports, including Mumbai, Chennai, Tuticorin, Cochin and Kandla.

“The government has invited final bids for acquiring container scanners, which included mobile gama ray container scanners and fixed container scanners,” the official said. Nava Sheva in Mumbai has gama ray scanners already installed at its premises.

A senior official with the Customs Department said that a lot of containers go undetected and there were incidents of smuggling of unshredded scrap, containing parts of guns and other arms.

“The proposal to install high-end container scanners is not new. In October 2006, the government has sanctioned Rs 175 crore for this purpose. The process of acquiring scanners has gained speed after the 26/11 attack on Mumbai,” the official said.

Unofficial figures with the revenue intelligence state that over 10,000 tonnes of iron scrap enter the country on a daily basis through the ports and the Customs department had seized over 30 tonne of shells from the scrap.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Gama+ray+scanners+soon+at+Cochin+Port&artid=ojEVKaKKxyY=&SectionID=9R67TMeNb/w=&MainSectionID=9R67TMeNb/w=&SEO=Union+Government,+Cochin+Port&SectionName=gUhH3Holuas=

CHENNAI: The global economical meltdown seems to have had little impact at the Chennai Port. The authorities are overwhelmed by the response they
got from bidders to build, operate and transfer the country's first mega container terminal at the port. Nine companies submitted their request for qualification (RFQ) to get themselves qualified for the Rs 3686-crore project, termed Chennai Port's most ambitious project till date.

All the applications will be evaluated on the basis of the eligibility criteria stipulated in the bid document and the shortlist of pre-qualified applicants who will be eligible to participate in the request for project bid stage will be drawn up after receipt of security clearance from the central government.

"The enthusiasm, despite the recession, shows that Chennai has a lot of business prospects to offer in the coming years. The mega container terminal, the first of its kind in the country, will have a quay length of 2 km and will have the deepest berth, 22 metres, in the country. It will bring Chennai port on a par with other international ports in Western countries," Chennai Port Trust chief engineer Srinivas Kannan told The Times Of India.

The terminal will enable Chennai port to handle ultra large container ships of 18,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Chennai Port Trust, whose share in the Rs 3686-crore project will be Rs 561 crore, will also maintain the berth depth.

"Building and operating the container terminal will be done by the selected company for a period of 30 years. However, maintaining the depth of the berth will be our responsibility. We will also provide the navigation guides," said Kannan.

At present the port has two container terminals handling more than 1.2 million TEUs per annum, accounting for 60% of the container traffic handled at the four container terminals in South India.

Kannan said the container traffic in Chennai would go up considerably after the mega container terminal was commissioned. Many ultra large container ships can be brought to Chennai port and it promises an excellent business opportunity for the companies who are bidding for the project.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Chennai/Tight-bidding-for-countrys-first-mega-container-project-at-CPT/articleshow/4251507.cms

Is the Ship building yard at Kattupalli @ 3000 crore still on?? I heard its juzz 5 km from Ennore port. So, chennai with twin port will become triple port city?!?
L&T is building it or the project is put on hold?

Its very much on... just last month they got te approval from the center..
We can expect physical work very soon

Here is the source
http://www.blonnet.com/2009/02/24/stories/2009022451471000.htm

1) Michellin
2) Toshiba boiler plate
3) Ashok-Nissan
4) Daimler-Hero JV

any updates

Cars ready for export at Chennai Port

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/4929/55178867.jpg

Tamilmurasu

Expansion planned for world’s two fastest growing economies

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), Japan's largest shipping firm by group sales, said on March 30 that it plans to build and expand car-shipping terminals at Indian and Chinese ports.

NYK Line boasts a fleet of over 100 automobile carriers, the world's largest. The investment plans reflect the Tokyo-based company's belief that China and India -- the world's two most populous and fastest-growing countries -- will become major automobile export bases in the future.

In India, NYK Line plans to construct a new car-export terminal at the Port of Mundra in the western province of Gujarat jointly with a local company in 2011, a company official said, requesting not to be named.

After building the terminal at the Port of Mundra, NYK Line also plans to construct another car-export terminal near the Port of Chennai in the southeastern province of Tamil Nadu, the official said. Chennai, formerly called Madras, is the capital city of the province.

In China, NYK Line already operates automobile terminals at the Ports of Dalian, Tianjin and Shanghai jointly with local companies.

The Japanese shipping firm plans to expand the capacity of both the Tianjin and Shanghai facilities about 3-fold between this year and next year, the company official said.

In addition, NYK Line is considering securing an automobile terminal in Guangzhou, possibly by the end of this year, by acquiring an equity stake in a local company, the official said. In Guangzhou, Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and other automakers have factories.

The NYK Line official did not disclose how much the car terminal investments in India and China will cost.

NYK Line handled a total of about 2 million automobiles at its car terminals worldwide in fiscal 2008, which ended on March 31, 2008. Through the investments in India and China, the company aims to boost the number by 25% to about 2.5 million, the official said.

http://www.joc.com/node/410412

Thanks Elango. A dedicated Car Terminal is a must for Chennai to bag more Automobile projects...And the Sriperumbudur/Oragadam - Port connectivity (dedicated expressway) is also very important...

Chennai port’s 2nd pvt terminal to begin operations by month-end

– Bijoy Ghosh

The newly acquired Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes lined up at the second container terminal to be operated by Chennai International Terminals Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between Port of Singapore Authority and Sical Logistics.

Our Bureau

Chennai, April 3 The second private container terminal at the Chennai port will commence operations from this month end.

The Chennai International Terminals Pvt Ltd (CITPL), a joint venture between Port of Singapore Authority and Sical Logistics, will start operations with quay length of 400 metres, according to Mr K. Suresh, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust (ChPT).

When fully commissioned by August, the new terminal, built at a cost of Rs 495 crore at East Quay and South Quay III, will have a quay length of 832 metres and 15.5 metres alongside berth. There will be a back-up area of 35 hectares, including 7.8 hectares to be reclaimed by the ChPT. The terminal’s designed capacity is to handle 1.5 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units), he said.

The new terminal has already imported 10 new RTGs (rubber tyred gantry) cranes from ZPMC, China which arrived at the Chennai port on March 28 and were discharged into the newly constructed quay. The cranes are capable of stacking 5+1 high containers and have a span of 6+1. They will be deployed for yard operations after the commissioning, he told newspersons.

According to Capt Suresh N. Amirapu, General Manager, CITPL, the terminal is designed to accommodate deep-draft vessels of 8,000 TEUs. Its connectivity to Inland Container Depot (ICD) destinations is enhanced by a railway connection and a growing number of rail logistics operators.
performance

Mr Suresh said that during 2008-09, the Chennai port handled 57.49 million tonnes (mt) of cargo, surpassing the previous year’s 57.15 mt by 0.59 per cent. The port, however, could not meet the Shipping Ministry’s target of 64 mt for the fiscal, mainly due to a decline in iron ore handling, he said.

The port handled 8.25 mt of iron ore in 2008-09, as against 10.82 mt over the previous year. This also resulted in a decline in the number of railway wagons handled during the year to 2,65,058 (2,92,736), a decline of 9.45 per cent, he said.
Car export

Car export (mainly Hyundai) increased by 80.25 per cent to touch 2,48,697 during 2008-09 as against 1,37,971 in the previous year. The port handled 65 car carriers compared with 40 in the previous year. The port is now the number one ro-ro car terminal in the country, he said.

The container traffic reached an all-time high of 1.14 million TEUs, an increase of 1.35 per cent over the previous year, he said.

Source: http://www.blonnet.com/2009/04/04/stories/2009040450501100.htm

Thanks Elango. A dedicated Car Terminal is a must for Chennai to bag more Automobile projects...And the Sriperumbudur/Oragadam - Port connectivity (dedicated expressway) is also very important...

Couple of months back there was talks that Hyundai is looking for one more site. If this comes up then Hyundai will have a capacity to build Million cars.

Cities like Singapore and Shanghai are 7-8 times bigger than chennai

A second private container terminal at India’s Chennai port will start operations at the end of this month, reports said.

The Chennai International Terminals Pvt Ltd (CITPL), a joint venture between Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) and Sical Logistics, will start operations with a quay length of 400 metres (m), according to K Suresh, chairman of Chennai Port Trust. Source

http://www.supplychain.cn/en/art/2826/

Chennai, Ennore ports fight for cargo

The two govt-owned ports, which are just 20km apart, are in race to develop container handling facilities

Source (http://www.livemint.com/2008/04/17010429/Chennai-Ennore-ports-fight-fo.html)


Bangalore: Two Union government-owned ports located just a few kilometres away on India’s eastern coast are slugging it out to develop container handling facilities with private investment to cater to rising needs of exporters and importers in the world’s second fastest growing major economy.

http://www.livemint.com/images/Growing-traffic-Containers-being-brought-in-at-Jawaharlal-Nehru-Port-ArtVPF.jpg
Growing traffic: Containers being brought in at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai. Demand for container facilities is rising in the country and both the Chennai and Ennore ports are looking to tap it.

One of them, Ennore Port Ltd, was set up primarily to handle the so-called dirty cargo such as iron ore and coal and free Chennai Port, just 20km away, from handling such cargo that could pollute the city. But, with Ennore getting into the business of handling clean cargo such as containers, Chennai Port says it sees no reason to give up dirty cargo.

The fight between the two ports started when Ennore Port, the country’s first Union government-owned major port set up under the Companies Act 1956, floated a global tender on 8 March to set up a Rs1,300 crore container cargo facility with an annual capacity of 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, at the port. A TEU is the standard size of a container and is a common measure of capacity in the container business.

Chennai Port retaliated and, on Wednesday, floated a global tender for building a mega Rs3,150 crore container terminal with an annual capacity of 4 million TEUs at the port, leaving bidders confused as to which one to bid for. “It will restrict competition among firms for the two projects. It would have been better if Chennai had come out with the tender after Ennore had completed the bidding process,” said a Gammon Infrastructure Projects Ltd official, who did not wish to be named. Firms have until 16 June to submit initial bids for the 30-year project at Chennai Port, which is expected to get operational by 2013.
In case of Ennore Port, firms have until 30 April to submit pre-qualification documents to be eligible for bidding.
“It is a good sign that ports are ambitious and are looking at large volumes of container traffic,” said S. Hajara, chairman and managing director of state-owned Shipping Corp. of India Ltd. India’s container traffic is estimated to rise to 21 million TEUs by 2016 from about 7.5 million TEUs now, according to the union shipping ministry.

Chennai and other 10 Union government-owned major ports are run as trusts under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. These ports are regulated by the Tariff Authority for Major Ports; Ennore being a corporate port is not.
PSA International Pte. Ltd, the world’s second biggest container port operator owned by the Singapore government’s investment arm Temasek Holdings Pvt. Ltd, will not be allowed to bid for the third terminal at the port, says the tender issued by Chennai Port.

This is because of a Union government policy which prohibits a firm that wins the last cargo-handling contract at a major port from participating in the bidding for the immediate next contract in an effort to promote competition within a port. PSA International is building the second container handling facility at Chennai Port along with local partner Sical Logistics Ltd.

DP World, the world’s fourth biggest container port operator, already runs a 1.4 million TEUs a year container terminal at Chennai. It handles 1.1 million TEUs from this facility, which is expected to reach full capacity later this year.

By December, PSA International will start operating a new 1.5-million-TEU-a-year terminal. The second container terminal at Chennai Port is expected to reach full capacity by 2013-14, when the third terminal is slated to start operations.

Initially, the government had decided that dirty cargo would be shifted to Ennore Port when it started operations so that Chennai Port could focus only on clean cargo. Ennore Port started operations in June 2001 and handles about 9 million tonnes (mt) of coal imported by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, or TNEB, to fire its power plants in the state. “But, this (the shifting of dirty cargo) has neither happened nor will it happen in future. At no point can Chennai (Port) stop handling coal and iron ore,” said a Chennai Port official, who did not wish to be identified.

Ennore Port, meanwhile, has changed its master plan to include facilities for handling clean cargo such as LNG (liquefied natural gas), LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), petroleum products, chemicals and containers, putting it in direct competition with Chennai Port. It even plans to set up dedicated berths for facilitating export of cars manufactured in and around Chennai, a business that the Chennai Port already caters to.

“We are not willing to handle dirty cargo, but are compelled to handle them because there is no facility at the moment to handle these cargoes in Ennore Port . We want to get rid of coal and iron ore cargo, but the trade will not go (elsewhere),” said the same official at Chennai Port.

The trade also prefers Chennai because it charges lower rates for handling coal and iron ore—being an old port— when compared with Ennore.
As a result, Chennai Port continues to handle iron ore and coal. The port handled 10.8mt of ore and more than 9mt of coal in the 12 months to March 2008. The port will lose revenues if this cargo shifts to Ennore Port. A policy decision on shifting the dirty cargo entirely to Ennore rests with the shipping ministry, said the Chennai Port official.

Even after Ennore Port starts operating an 8mt-capacity coal terminal for non-TNEB users and a 15 mt-capacity iron ore terminal with private investments, there will be a capacity crunch at Chennai and Ennore ports to handle dirty cargo.

The coal cargo at Chennai Port has been growing at about 10-15% a year on the back of strong demand from power plants, sugar mills and cement factories in southern India. At this rate, the coal traffic of non-TNEB users in Chennai Port alone is expected to touch15-16mt a year from the existing 9mt.

“There will always be a shortage of capacity for importing coal and exporting iron ore from this region. In the absence of adequate capacity, where will the exporters and importers go?” asked the Chennai Port official. “Instead of setting up facilities to handle more coal and iron ore, Ennore Port is getting into container business,” he added.
However, Ennore Port claims that there is enough container cargo for everybody in this business.

“Trade is growing and containerization of cargo is growing. Everybody has got business in India,” an Ennore Port official said. “Because we are located close by makes it obvious that we are competing. That way all ports are competing with each other for cargo,” he added. Ennore has awarded contracts to private firms to develop and operate coal, iron ore and liquid terminals. It also plans to increase capacity for handling TNEB coal by about 4mt a year from the current 9mt.

“The terminal has a capacity to handle 1.5 million TEUs”

CHENNAI: Arrival of the vessel St.John George Grace from Colombo on June 4 will officially mark the opening of the second private container terminal of the Chennai Port Trust (ChPT).

Though the second container terminal was to be inaugurated by April-end, it was deferred by more than a month due to delay in getting confirmation about the arrival of vessels along with contractors’ delay in finishing the work, said a Chennai International Terminals Pvt Ltd (CITPL) official.

K.Suresh, ChPT chairman, told The Hindu on Thursday that the second container terminal would commence operations by June 4 or 5. “The terminal has a capacity to handle 1.5 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units). Initially, it will start operations with a quay length of 400 metres.”

Built at a cost of Rs.495 crore, the Chennai International Terminals Pvt Ltd (CITPL) is a joint venture between Port of Singapore Authority and Sical Logistics. The new terminal at East Quay and South Quay III will have a quay length of 832 metres and 15.5 metres alongside berth.

There will be a back-up area of 35 hectares, including 7.8 hectares to be reclaimed by the ChPT.

New cranes

About 10 new RTGs (rubber tyred gantry) cranes from ZPMC, China, have already been imported and installed at the new terminal.

The cranes are capable of stacking 5+1 high containers and have a span of 6+1 containers. The terminal is designed to accommodate deep-draft vessels of 8,000 TEUs. Its connectivity to Inland Container Depot destination has been enhanced through seamless railway connection of two rail lines that will be ready by mid-June. St. John George Grace vessel has capacity to accommodate 1,200 TEUs and has a length of 164 metres, the official added.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/29/stories/2009052960460900.htm

NEW DELHI: As part of the first 100-day 'action programme' of the government, the Shipping Ministry would award projects worth more than Rs 3,300
crore for developing and upgrading container and cargo terminals at various ports in the country.

"We will issue Letter of Award for six projects within the next 100 days for various ports, apart from initiating the process for awarding another 23 projects," a senior official said.

The six projects to be awarded within the next 100 days include development of a container terminal at Ennore, North of Chennai, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,407 crore.

Also included in the plan is the construction of deep draft iron ore berth at Paradip at an estimated cost of Rs 591 crore. It will have another project for construction of deep draft coal berth, estimated to cost Rs 479 crore.

Other projects include conversion of a general cargo terminal into a container terminal at Tuticorin Port (Rs 312 crore), setting up of mechanised iron ore handling facilities at New Mangalore (Rs 277 crore) and development of berth for handling bulk cargo at Goa (Rs 252 crore).

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Transportation/Shipping-Ministry-to-award-Rs-3300-cr-projects-in-100-days/articleshow/4627222.cms

What happened to the inauguration of 2nd container terminal in ChPT? It was supposed to be on Friday right?

here is the answer

http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?image=portz.jpg

find the second container terminal 50% ready

the second one is ennore iron ore terminal

http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ennore.jpg

^^ loads of thanks for sharing. But if this is the update as on am y9th I am wondering how would it be inaugurated so soon?

Chennai International Terminals trial operations begin

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/06/20/images/2009062050750501.jpg

Await official opening: St John Grace, the container feeder vessel, docked at Chennai International Terminals Private Ltd, the second private container terminal at the Chennai port.

Source (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/06/20/stories/2009062050750500.htm)

Chennai, June 19 Trial operation has begun at Chennai International Terminals Private Ltd (CITPL), the second private container terminal at the Chennai port. However, the official opening, delayed by nearly four months, is likely to happen in October, according to sources.

St John Container Lines Pte Ltd. Singapore, a subsidiary of the Tuticorin-based St John Freight Systems Ltd, became the first company to commence a feeder service from the new terminal — jointly operated by PSA International of Singapore and Sical Logistics of Chennai.

Its container vessel, St John Grace, has begun a shuttle service between the new terminal and Colombo with a weekly call at Chennai. To begin with, the ship is handling around 200 boxes every voyage and plans to have around 500 boxes in the next few weeks, the sources said.

The new terminal began trial operations with 480 m of quay length; three quay cranes and ten rubber-tyred-gantry cranes. The full 832 metres of quay length is likely to be ready only by October. The company has sought time from the Chennai Port Trust to delay the official opening, the sources said. Being a ‘brown field’ project, it took more time for the company to get the infrastructure ready.

Also, the berth before being handed over to CITPL was used by Indian Navy vessels, and it took time to make alternative arrangements for the Navy. Recently, there was also a minor accident with a crane belonging to CITPL damaged by a ship. All these delayed the project’s completion, the sources said.

The Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) has signed a concession agreement with CITPL to convert the existing facility into the second container terminal through private sector participation for a licence period of 30 years. The planned terminal capacity is 1.05 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units).

Recently, the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP), which fixes tariff at all the major ports, said in its order that the tariff fixation for CITPL is only an interim arrangement, valid till June 30 to enable the new operator start operations. The final tariff based on CITPL’s projections will be set after TAMP’s due process.

Lok Sabha


National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP) envisages setting up of two international size shipyards, one on the East Coast and another on the West Coast of India. Maritime States including Gujarat were requested by this Ministry to identify suitable locations for setting up of international size shipyards, one each on the East Coast and West Coast of India respectively.

Government of India nominated Mumbai Port Trust and Ennore Port Limited to function as the Nodal Agencies for setting up of shipyards on the West Coast of India and the East Coast of India respectively. The nodal agencies viz. Ennore Port Limited and Mumbai Port Trust have been authorized to appoint Consultants who, inter alia, would identify 3 or 4 alternative sites each for setting up of shipyard on West Coast and East Coast of India respectively and also suggest optimal locations with detailed justification. The commencement of the project depends on the outcome of the recommendations of the Consultants.

The Maritime States were requested by this Ministry to identify suitable location for setting up of international size shipyards, one each on the East Coast and West Coast of India respectively, with the following basic requirements:

(i) The minimum land requirement of 1000-1500 acres and waterfront of about 2.5 Kms in length;

(ii) Water draft of 10 to 12 metres;

(iii) The site location for the proposed shipyards to have good rail and road connectivity;

(iv) Contiguity to a Major Port situated within the State.

Source & More Details Here (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?
relid=50206)
is ennore port is just a agency or they will make ennore to internation standard??

http://www.autoindia.com/News/auto-news-india1667.html

Bangalore, 14 July 2009: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), the Indian subsidiary of Japanese auto giant Toyota, will ink a pact with Ennore port in Tamil Nadu to export its small cars, which would be manufactured at the company's upcoming plant near Bangalore from 2010-11, the company's Deputy Managing Director (Commercial), Mr.Shekar Viswanathan said.

TKM would apply for space in Ennore port soon, Mr.Viswanathan added on the sidelines of 32nd AGM of Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

"We have analysed both Mangalore Port Trust and Ennore port in Tamil Nadu. Ennore would be more suitable for us to export to countries in the east," he said, while adding that TKM would export small cars to Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Currently, TKM is constructing a second production plant at its existing 420-acre factory complex in Bidadi near Bangalore to manufacture small cars. The company has invested Rs.3,200 crore to build the plant that would have an annual production capacity of one-lakh units.

Although the small car rolled out from the new plant would be primarily for the Indian market, the company has also decided to ship it overseas.

If the deal was through, Toyota would be the second automaker to export cars through Ennore port.Already, Nissan has signed an agreement with Ennore port to export around 1.1 lakh cars per annum, primarily to Europe.

..

http://www.autoindia.com/News/auto-news-india1667.html

Bangalore, 14 July 2009: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), the Indian subsidiary of Japanese auto giant Toyota, will ink a pact with Ennore port in Tamil Nadu to export its small cars, which would be manufactured at the company's upcoming plant near Bangalore from 2010-11, the company's Deputy Managing Director (Commercial), Mr.Shekar Viswanathan said.



TN govt/ Ennore Port should also convince Hyundai to use Ennore port for the proposed expansion. Hyundai has announced that since the facilities in Chennai have reached a saturation point, it wants to set up further capacities in other places ...most probably in AP...TN has to convince Hyundai to stay in TN.

^^ Hyundai isn't going anywhere. It is building a multilevel car park at Chennai port to enhance the capacity of the car terminal. And ChPT is in the process of expanding the terminal. I personally feel Chennai port should be conveted to an all clean cargo port and Ennore must concentrate more on dirty cargo. Ennore is going ahead with plans of setting up a container terminal. If the Port-Maduravoyal project is not finished on time the terminal operators at Chennai would stand for a disadvantage. Currently there is a traffic restriction for large trucks entering into the city. This must not be thre for the elevated expressway. Already Ennore has MOUs with Toyota nad Nissan. Chennai port caters to Hyundai and Ford.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Economy/Japanese-cos-lobby-for-better-connectivity-to-Ennore-port/articleshow/4846616.cms

NEW DELHI: A section of Japanese companies and government representatives have requested India to address the infrastructure bottlenecks connecting
Ennore Port in Tamil Nadu, as many Japanese companies are now planning to utilise it as the prime route to export their products to European and Asian markets.

Japanese vice minister for ministry of economy, trade and industry (METI) Hiroyuki Ishige, who is equivalent to commerce or industry secretary in India, recently met minister of road transport and highways Kamal Nath to insist that Ennore Port connectivity should be taken up expeditiously, a Japanese government official, who did not wish to be named, told SundayET. Mr Ishige came to India mid-July to participate in a task force meeting of the proposed Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor (DMIC). In fact, Japan has been keen on investing on such a corridor project, proposed to be developed in South India too.

Already, Japanese auto company Nissan Motors had inked MoU with Ennore Port (EPL) to export their vehicles to Europe and elsewhere through the port. Nissan Motors, in fact, was the first automaker to utilize this eastern gateway port as an export base.

Director general of Japan external trade organisation (Jetro) Naoyoshi Noguchi confirmed that better connectivity to Ennore port would be in the interest of the Japanese auto majors who set up production centres in Tamil Nadu. Many of those companies have interest in exporting their products and Ennore could provide the best outlet, he said.

Though Ennore was first conceived as a satellite port to handle thermal coal requirements for Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB), its scope was later expanded keeping in mind the growing investments taking place in that belt. It is estimated that by 2013-14, the second phase of development would augment the port cargo handling capacity by 58 million metric tonne per annum.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/08/03/stories/2009080350720500.htm

Mr S. Velumani, chairman-cum-managing director of the Ennore Port Ltd (EPL), is a happy man. The port maintained its traffic and improved its revenue and profitability in 2008-09. And it is likely to give a dividend of 15 per cent to the government.

The good result also earned the country’s first corporatised port a Mini Ratna status that gives EPL’s board the power to invest up to Rs 500 crore on its own without going to the Centre for clearance.

The country’s other major ports that have been in existence for so many years have such investment powers only up to Rs 100 crore. For the year ended March 31, 2009, the port’s net profit increased by 20 per cent to Rs 42 crore, compared with Rs 35 crore in the previous year, and its revenues were up by 11 per cent to Rs 142 crore (Rs 128 crore). In 2008-09, the port handled 11.50 million tonnes (11.56 million tonnes).

Ennore Port was developed from a greenfield situation on the country’s East Coast, 20 km to the north of Chennai port. It was declared a Major Port in March 1999 and incorporated as a company (Ennore Port Ltd) in October 1999.

The Port was commissioned in June 2001 with two dedicated coal berths with a 15-metre alongside depth and, since then, handles 9 million tonnes of thermal coal per annum for Tamil Nadu Electricity Board’s power stations.

The port also handles small quantities of iron ore and POL through temporary facilities. So, what does the Mini Ratna status mean to the Ennore port? A lot, says Mr Velumani.

“The perception among many that this port model (corporate structure) will not work has failed,” he said. The corporate model at EPL has been very successful and the Mini Ratna is a recognition for the managerial efficiency of the company. Various projects in the private sector to handle liquids, coal, iron ore and containers will be initiated on a ‘war footing.’

What next?

“It is now time to build on the image of the port to tap more investors and users,” he said. “We are in the second and most important phase of development that involves major projects to enhance the port’s handling capacity to 64 million tonnes in the next two or three years from the present 15 million tonnes.”

The port has requested the Centre for a grant of Rs 440 crore for capital dredging. This includes increasing the depth of the channel to 20 metre from the present 16 metre and providing a draft of 18 metre to iron ore and coal berths and 16 metre to the container berth. “We plan to synchronise the dredging along with other developmental projects,” he said.

The container terminal is one of the most ambitious projects at the port with an investment of over Rs 1,400 crore. The 1.4-km quay length will be the country’s longest single quay with an annual capacity to handle 1.5 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units). More importantly, the port is giving the BOT (build, own and transfer) operator 125 acres of land adjoining the wharf for storage. No other port gives this advantage. (A foundation stone for the container terminal was laid in February this year).

With an alongside depth of 16 metres, the terminal will be designed to handle the largest container ship available in the world up to a size of 14,500 TEUs. The terminal will be able to handle three mainline vessels simultaneously.

Growing interest

There is an ‘interesting’ set of potential bidders (shortlisted from a global tender) with two of the global terminal operators – APM Terminals (it operates a Global Terminal Network of over 50 ports and provides port management and operations to over 60 liner shipping customers) and NYK in the fray.

These two are joined by consortiums led by Indian companies such as Larsen & Toubro and Sterlite Industries, he said.

Liquid terminal

The multi-liquid terminal will be the country’s first common-user, integrated liquid jetty and tank terminal project to be developed on a BOT basis at a major port. Ennore Tank Terminal Pvt Ltd, a special purpose company promoted by IMC Ltd, an independent bulk liquid storage company, will implement the project on a 30-year BOT licence from EPL.

IMC will pay a revenue share of 21.78 per cent to EPL. The 360-metre berth’s capacity is 6,000-1,50,000 dwt (dead weight tonnes). The storage tank has a capacity of 1.3 lakh kilo-litres. There are 42 storage tanks and the total cargo handling capacity is three million tonnes a year.

Coal, iron-ore terminals
While the iron ore terminal was awarded to Sical Iron Ore Terminal, the coal terminal was given to Chettinad International Coal Terminal. Both the facilities are scheduled to be operational by August 2010.

This should ease both coal and iron ore traffic at the Chennai port. The coal terminal will have 130 acres of stock yard and the iron ore terminal will have 70 acres, he said.

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: With a view to enhance capacity and modernise ports in the country, the ministry of shipping has identified specific projects for implementation within the next three years and budgeted an investment of Rs 1,00,339 crore.
Under the National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP), 276 projects have been identified in 13 major ports across the country to be completed by 2011-12. These projects would cover the entire gamut of activities like construction and upgrade of berths, deepening of channels, rail-road connectivity and other facilities, union minister G K Vasan told parliament.
This would entail an investment of Rs 55,803.73 crore with Vishakatnam port having the maximum number of projects. The port has been asked to execute 38 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 2,621 crore. The Kochi port would get the maximum investment of Rs 7,920 crore to execute 14 projects. Vishakapatnam port would establish a container terminal on a BOT basis and two multipurpose berths. Chennai Port Trust and Tuticorin port trust will execute 14 and 24 projects respectively.
While Chennai Port will get an estimated Rs 2,247 crore, Tuticorin will get Rs 4,571 crore. Chennai port will establish a container terminal at a cost of Rs 470 crore while Tuticorin will set up a container terminal berth at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2009/08/04&PageLabel=15&EntityId=Ar01504&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/08/05/stories/2009080550760500.htm

Sical Logistics Ltd, a provider of multi-modal integrated solutions for the logistics of bulk and containerised cargo, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) to form a joint venture that will operate the automotives management yard at Ennore Port, near Chennai.

MOL is among the world’s largest shipping and logistics companies and considered among the leaders in global automotive transportation.

The MoU was signed by Mr Takashi Kurauchi, Managing Executive Officer, Mitsui O.S.K Lines, and Mr L.R. Sridhar, Managing Director, Sical Logistics, in the presence of Mr S. Velumani, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Ennore Port Ltd. The yard will manage automotives in CBU (complete built-up unit) form and will cater to exporters/importers based in India.

The proposed venture will combine the expertise of MOL in global automotives transportation and yard management with Sical’s competencies in multi-modal integrated logistics and terminal operations, according to a press release issued by Sical.

As reported earlier, Ennore Port will invest Rs 110 crore for creating a multi-purpose berth to handle export cars.

This can also be used as a general cargo berth. Nissan-Renault, which has decided to export its cars from Ennore, has committed to export 90,000 cars in 2010-11 and gradually increase it to 1.80 lakh from the fourth year.

The terminal will be a quarter km long, with a berth of 12 metres deep. A stack yard will be created to park 1.40 lakh cars at the port.

^^ With these developments, Chennai port's aspirations of becoming a clean cargo port can never happen

^^ With these developments, Chennai port's aspirations of becoming a clean cargo port can never happen

why do u say so. Do you mean to say that all clean cargo incl car exports should happen from Chennai and not from Ennore?

I too thought Chennai would eventually become a clean cargo port and Ennore will be used for dirty cargo.

why do u say so. Do you mean to say that all clean cargo incl car exports should happen from Chennai and not from Ennore?




Obviously yes.. Only if Chennai port handles clean cargo, The cruise marina project can happen..
But at present its going no where

^^ Initially it was planned to make Chennai Port devoid of coal handlings... But later they felt it is impossible to move all coal handlings to Ennore port and they're installing a new covered transporting machinery for transporting coal.

So Chennai Port will never become devoid of Coal handlings.

TNEB asks Ennore Port to treble coal handling capacity (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/08/07/stories/2009080751341700.htm)

Plans to add 5,000 MW in next 5 years.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/08/07/images/2009080751341701.jpg
The Ennore Port in Chennai.

Chennai, Aug. 6 The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has asked Ennore Port Ltd (EPL) to increase the port’s installed capacity to handle coal (only for the TNEB) by nearly three times in the next five years. The TNEB wants the port to be able to handle a total volume of around 35 million tonnes (mt) of coal by 2013-14 from the present 12 mt, according to Mr S. Velumani, Chairman and Managing Director, EPL.

The expansion is to meet the TNEB’s plans of adding nearly 5,000 MW of capacity in the next five years. EPL’s capacity expansion, including a new berth and dredging, could cost around Rs 200 crore. EPL will request the Indian Maritime University to take up a detailed feasibility study on the project, he said.

Last financial year, the port handled nearly 10 mt of coal for the TNEB, he said.

For the expansion, two more unloaders will be required.

At Central Berth 2 the capacity will be increased to 16 mt. Construction of a third berth for coal handling will be taken up based on the feasibility study, he said.

Mr Velumani said a 500-MW plant annually requires nearly 2.5 mt of coal, which will mainly come from Paradip. The existing arrangement will continue, that is, the TNEB with EPL creating the infrastructure, he said.

EPL has set apart the existing two coal berths for handling thermal coal required by the power plants in which TNEB is a stakeholder. At present, the coal requirement for power generation at the plants of TNEB having linkage to Ennore port is around 10 mt a year.

The new grab unloaders to be installed should be capable to unload coal from the large Panamax vessels (80,000 – 100,000 dead weight tonne), which have a broader beam, he said.

L&T scales down Ennore port funding (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Indl-Goods-Svs/Engineering/LT-scales-down-Ennore-port-funding/articleshow/4864986.cms)


CHENNAI: Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has scaled down its initial investment plan for the ship-building yard
and minor port complex in Ennore, north Chennai. It had planned to invest Rs 2,500 crore in the first phase on the project, in which the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) will have a 3% equity stake.

L&T will now invest only Rs 1, 500 crore in the this phase. The whole project, to come up over a land area of 1,100 acres, will cost Rs 5,000 crore. The project has been approved in principle as a heavy engineering sector (shipyard) SEZ by the Centre.

L&T has also decided to manufacture defence vehicles and not commercial vehicles in this yard. “We are already manufacturing in this space and have the necessary expertise,” said L&T president (machinery products) JP Nayak.


This is Kattupalli Port... not Ennore Port. As usual, mistake by editor.

^^ Initially it was planned to make Chennai Port devoid of coal handlings... But later they felt it is impossible to move all coal handlings to Ennore port and they're installing a new covered transporting machinery for transporting coal.

So Chennai Port will never become devoid of Coal handlings.

this new installation to cover coal being transported is i believe a temporary measure until all coal handling is moved to ennore.

this new installation to cover coal being transported is i believe a temporary measure until all coal handling is moved to ennore.

Presently there seems to be a confusion regarding this subject, atleast among ourselves.

Currently, Coal and other dirty cargo is handled at Chennai. With major power plants in Chennai near Ennore, Coal should eventually be shifted to Ennore. The hinterland power plants and also in other parts of the State of TNEB which get coal from MCL or SECL or imported coal does come to Chennai and they have to be shifted to Ennore.

Iron Ore exports also have to be shifted to Ennore.

Because of the stringent norms for dirty cargo in chennai, many coal imports have shifted to Tuticorin and they are also looking at Karaikal port.

I don't think its difficult for the port trust to eventually shift all dirty cargo to ennore - Road connectivity has to be put in place / strengthened to achieve this.

Not only among ourselves but even among the port members.. i saw an article way before wherein a chennai port official was criticizing Ennore port for their ambiguous approach...

Chennai, Aug. 28 The Shipping Ministry has asked the major ports to explore the possibility of developing small barge jetties under public-private-partnership (PPP) to increase liquid cargo traffic.

There is a plan to build one such facility in the Chennai port, while other ports are also exploring this business potential, according to sources.

The private player will be given licence of the facility for a 30-year period on build, operate and transfer basis.

EoI sought

The Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) has drawn up a proposal to develop the barge jetty adjoining the new pipeline trestle at the north-west side of the Bharathi Dock.

It has sought expression of interest (EoI) from private players on how the facility should be developed, the source said.

Bharathi Dock

There is an existing facility at the Bharathi Dock in the Chennai port to handle barges up to 65 metre long with three-metre depth.

However, the port trust plans to construct a barge jetty up to a maximum of 200 m length without affecting the manoeuvrability of container, oil and iron ships handled at the Bharathi Dock.

“We are following the Ministry’s instructions to encourage small customers to use the barge jetty. We do not know about what could be potential business or the investment involved in building the facility,” the source said.

To develop the barge jetty, the ChPT will provide private operators the right-of-way in the existing pipeline trestle without affecting the present operations; permission to develop an elevated approach from the breakwater to the barge jetty; land area of 7,500 sq m in the vicinity of the jetty and existing barge handling facility.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/2009/08/29/stories/2009082950420500.htm

Rs 3,686 cr container terminal soon (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/rs-3686-cr-container-terminal-soon-592)

Chennai, Sept. 4: A mega container terminal is coming up at Chennai Port and the construction of the Rs 3,686-crore project, which can hold five million containers, will start by the end of this year.

This major facility is expected to make Chennai port the leading container terminal hub on the east coast.

“The proposed mega container terminal with 2 km long quay will be able to handle ultra large container vessels,” said Capt. Subash Kumar, chairman of Chennai Port Trust. “The project plan is ready and we are waiting for the security clearance from union ministry.”

He added that the work of elevated corridor that connects Chennai Port and Madurvoyal is in progress and the completion of the project would benefit further port expansion projects. Two new breakwaters with a length of 2.75 km in eastern side and 1.73 km in northern side will be created for the mega container terminal project with a depth of 22 metres. Also the project with a 2 km key length would require 90 hectares land.

Meanwhile, senior port officials pointed out that any delay in the work of two major connectivity projects, one in North Chennai and the other the elevated corridor on the Cooum River, would have an impact on the development of Chennai Port and its various trade expansion plans.

“The completion of connectivity projects is necessary to resolve the trade problems,” said Captain Subash.

Apart from that, port is also constructing a Ro-Ro (Roll On Roll Off) terminal and multi-level car park facility to handle next generation Ro-Ro car carriers. The Ro-Ro terminal, which is being built exclusively for cars, would have a facility to park 5,000 vehicles. It would help increase car export and import through Chennai Port.

Guys!

Please understand that Madras Port and Ennore Port are rival organisations and both vie for cargo to sustain and grow.

Madras Port of late is concentrating on Containerised Cargo (aka Clean Cargo) but that does not mean that they will close down all other activities.

Since L&T Kattupalli Port is also proposed near Ennore, the competition will hot up more.

The Clients may be able to negotiate and get a better deal from these 3 players now.

But, Kannan sir, I think this is a healthy competition. Of late, the growth rate of both these ports is dramatically up by surprising percentages, if I'm not wrong. Hope this healthy competition continues and will help develop the region, especially when IT and others industries suffer from recession. :)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/09/12/images/2009091251990101.jpg

New Delhi, Sept. 11 Major ports may be allowed to invest their surplus of over Rs 12,000 crore in the equities of public sector undertakings in case the ports do not have any immediate need for funds.

This is one of the recommendations of an internal committee of the Shipping Ministry. A final call on the issue is to be taken by the Shipping Ministry in consultation with the Finance Ministry.

As on April 1, 2008, major ports had over Rs 12,000 crore of cash surplus, according to official data. But, they also had significant outstanding loans and investment requirement.

Major ports are governed by the Central Government.

Currently, there are guidelines for major port trust investments in national banks, inter-corporate loans, provident funds, superannuation funds, amongst others.

Profit centres

Port trusts are not encouraged to invest in equities as their primary objective, according to the Major Port Trust Act, is to plough back the funds into port development.

“But now there is a need for a re-look as the idea is to encourage major port trusts to function as independent profit centres.

That is how other competing ports are functioning,” explained a committee member.

Currently, the major ports have no incentives for maximising profits. “The surplus earned by a major port is not a parameter used to judge its performance,” he explained.

It is in this context that the committee headed by Mr Vijay Chhibber, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Shipping, suggested that “ports may be allowed to invest in some secured equities of public sector enterprises if the funds are not required immediately for port development”.

The committee also said that the ports could be allowed to invest in other port companies provided a detailed appraisal of the target company’s financial worth is made by the ‘finance wing’ of the investing port.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/09/12/stories/2009091251990100.htm

Ennore Port earns Rs. 41.46 crores profit (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=52728)

PRESENTS MAIDEN DIVIDEND CHEQUE TO SHIPPING MINISTER

The Union Minister of Shipping Thiru G.K.Vasan was presented today at Chennai the maiden dividend of Rs.4.15 crores by Ennore Port. The dividend Cheque was presented to the Minister by Thiru S.Velumani, Chairman cum Managing Director of Ennore Port Ltd (EPL).

The Ennore Port Ltd. has reported a post tax profit of Rs.41.46 crores during the Financial Year ended March 31, 2009 and it proposes to declare dividend at 15% on PAT which comes around Rs.6.22 crores. Dividend Tax is Rs.1.06 Cores. The dividend cash flow including dividend tax is Rs.7.28 Crores, of which Government of India gets Rs.4.15 crores and Chennai Port Trust Rs.2.07 crores.

Ennore Port has been conferred Mini Ratna Category I status by the Government of India based on its impressive performance, which enables it with enhanced functional and financial autonomy. The Port has been successful in attracting an investment of Rs. 1200 crores on various terminals and harbour crafts from private entrepreneurs. It maintained a very low operating ratio at 25.80% during 2008-09.

Construction of the Car Export Terminal at the Port is in progress in pursuance of MOU with Nissan Motors, which would enable Nissan to export 1,80,000 cars per year. Exports are expected to commence by August, 2010. This Project will cost Rs.110 crores and the facilities include a berth, dredging of basin to 12 mtrs, parking yard of 1,75,000 sq. mtrs.

A modern Coal Terminal and an Iron Ore Terminal are being developed at a total investment of Rs.880 crores. Ennore Port will be able to handle 8 million tonnes of Non-TNEB coal and 12 million tonnes of iron ore with completion of these two projects by August 2010. Detailed Project Report (DPR) for construction of third coal berth is being prepared so as to enable EPL to handle 35 million tonnes of coal need for TNEB by 2013-14. The Project is expected to cost Rs.100 crores. The Marine Liquid Terminal constructed at a cost of Rs.250 crores is already operational since January 2009.

Rail connectivity project works to link Coal and Iron Ore stackyards with Athipattu Stations on the Chennai – Vijayawada mainline are under the implementation at a cost of Rs.51.60 crores. Phase – II Capital Dredging to create necessary depths to handle Cape Size vessels and main line Container vessels has been approved by the Board of EPL with a proposed of Rs.440 crores.

:cheers:

Makes Rs 41.46-cr profit for year ended March 2009

Ennore Port Ltd became the first major port in the country to pay a dividend to the Government. It paid a dividend of Rs 4.15 crore to the Government and Rs 2.07 crore to the Chennai Port Trust — both being major partners in EPL.

The Shipping Minister, Mr G. K. Vasan, received a cheque for Rs 4.15 crore as maiden dividend from Mr S. Velumani, Chairman and Managing Director, EPL. The minister later presented a cheque for Rs 2.07 crore to the Chennai Port Trust Chairman, Capt Subhash Kumar.

For the year ended March 2009, Ennore Port reported a post tax profit of Rs 41.46 crore and declared a dividend of 15 per cent (Rs 6.22 crore).

ATTRACTING INVESTMENT

The Minister said that Ennore Port has been conferred Mini Ratna Category I status by the Government based on its impressive performance; this gives the port enhanced functional and financial autonomy. The port has been successful in attracting an investment of Rs 1,200 crore on various terminals and harbour crafts from private entrepreneurs.

Construction of the car export terminal at the port is in progress in pursuance of an MoU with Nissan Motors, which would enable the car-maker export 1,80,000 vehicles a year.

Exports are expected to commence by August 2010. This project will cost Rs 110 crore and the facilities include a berth, dredging of basin to 12 metres, and a parking yard of 1,75,000 sq mt.

The Minister said that a new coal terminal and an iron ore terminal developed at a cost of Rs 880 crore will enable the port handle 8 million tonnes of non-TNEB coal and 12 million tonnes of iron ore with the completion of these two projects by August 2010, he said.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/09/20/stories/2009092050830500.htm

The Chennai International Terminals Private (CITPL), the second private container terminal at the Chennai port, will officially start full operations from October, the Hindu Business Line reported.

The terminal will help the Chennai Port, which is 88th in the global top 100 container ports, to add a capacity of 1.05 million TEUs to its current capacity of 1.2 million TEUs.

The terminal began trial operations in June with 480 metres quay length; three quay cranes and 10 rubber-tyred-gantry cranes. The full 832 metres quay length will be ready by the first week of October.

The company sought time from the Chennai Port Trust to delay the official opening by nearly four months. Being a 'brown field' project, it took the company more time to get the infrastructure ready, sources said.


Source: cargonewsasia.com (http://www.cargonewsasia.com/secured/article.aspx?id=3&article=20726)

^^
What does brown field means?

^^ "Brown field" means an expansion or upgradation of an existing infrastructure facility..

For example, the brand new airport proposed at Sriperumbudur will come up from scratch, which is called "green field" while the upgrades being carried out at the Meenambakkam airport are called "brown field".

:)

^^Cool. Thanks for the explanation.

^^ "Brown field" means an expansion or upgradation of an existing infrastructure facility..


Expansion or upgradation cant be called a brownfield, i think..

Brownfield refers to site that is/was occupied by some structure that is not used/vacant and is demolished/reclaimed for redevelopment.

^^
A greenfield project is one which is not constrained by prior work. It is constructing on unused land where there is no need to remodel or demolish an existing structure. Such projects are often coveted by engineers.

Some examples of greenfield projects are new factories, power plants or airports which are built from scratch. Those facilities which are modified/ upgraded are called brownfield projects.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/sunday-toi/open-space/What-are-greenfield-projects/articleshow/1717233.cms

^^
A greenfield project is one which is not constrained by prior work. It is constructing on unused land where there is no need to remodel or demolish an existing structure. Such projects are often coveted by engineers.

Some examples of greenfield projects are new factories, power plants or airports which are built from scratch. Those facilities which are modified/ upgraded are called brownfield projects.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/sunday-toi/open-space/What-are-greenfield-projects/articleshow/1717233.cms

Is there any other good source? No link to indian media please, they are new to this terminologies and often use inappropriate terminology.

For ex,

If they build a new terminal adjacent to the existing terminal with out demolishing or reclaiming the land, then its neither greenfield not brownfield.
whereas if the existing structure in the cheapauk stadium is demolished and new structure is built then its brownfield.

whereas if the existing structure in the cheapauk stadium is demolished and new structure is built then its brownfield.

^^That's correct. I guess same as upgrade.

^^Ferrari Fan's explanation is correct. Atleast thats how we have been terming our expansions in my company.

A lot of people feel that Mundra port will exceed Chennai and JNPT in value. This is due to multiple reasons.
1. It is located outside cities like Chennai and can expand easily
2. It is able to serve multiple states in North (> 7) as they are not coastal
3. It is run very well, they started much later than Chennai and have more depth already

Chennai port handles about 4 states at the moment. In general, as the southern states are coastal, they can build their own ports and this reduces the importance of any port in these states.

While Chennai port is expanding, it is going to take a while for it to fight major ports in the world like Singapore or Shanghai. It wishes to get to 22m depth with the new cargo hub by 2012. It currently handles 1.2 million TEUs. By global standards, it has ways to go. The Colombo port handles 3.7 TEU of which a lot is transshipment. If Chennai port grows sufficiently, it can reduce the impact of the Colombo port, as major part of the port use is for transshipment. People suggested that Tuticorin port can do this. However, there is a dredging problem that currently prevents this.

A lot of people feel that Mundra port will exceed Chennai and JNPT in value. This is due to multiple reasons.
1. It is located outside cities like Chennai and can expand easily
2. It is able to serve multiple states in North (> 7) as they are not coastal
3. It is run very well, they started much later than Chennai and have more depth already

Chennai port handles about 4 states at the moment. In general, as the southern states are coastal, they can build their own ports and this reduces the importance of any port in these states.

While Chennai port is expanding, it is going to take a while for it to fight major ports in the world like Singapore or Shanghai. It wishes to get to 22m depth with the new cargo hub by 2012. It currently handles 1.2 million TEUs. By global standards, it has ways to go. The Colombo port handles 3.7 TEU of which a lot is transshipment. If Chennai port grows sufficiently, it can reduce the impact of the Colombo port, as major part of the port use is for transshipment. People suggested that Tuticorin port can do this. However, there is a dredging problem that currently prevents this.

So what you finally want to say ??? Reason for posting this ???!!!!

So what you finally want to say ??? Reason for posting this ???!!!!

My point is that Chennai port must do more to fight the competition that is coming up in India and its neighbors. That will help it in the long run.

right chennai port should become one of biggest port in the world...

:bash: Source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/nhai-likely-to-windennore-road-connectivityproject/373065/)

The Chennai port-Ennore road connectivity project has hit a roadblock with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) sending feelers to the Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) that “it would wind up the project” if the latter fails to pay its share of Rs 300 crore for the proposed project. NHAI has given a deadline till October 20, 2009, to the latter to release the amount, according to sources.....

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/10/13/images/2009101350170501.jpg T.E. Raja Simhan
Chennai, Oct. 12 Increased handling of iron ore, POL (petroleum, oil and lubricant) and thermal coal boosted traffic at the 12 major ports during the first half of the current fiscal ending September 30.
Traffic increased by 2.39 per cent in the first half to 267.97 million tonnes (mt) compared with 261.72 mt in the corresponding period last year.
Thermal coal traffic increased by 16.38 per cent to 23.03 mt (19.78 mt); POL increased by 2.40 per cent to 86.16 mt (84.14 mt) and iron ore increased by 4.79 per cent to 42.01 mt (40.09 mt).
Handling of finished fertiliser, raw fertiliser and coking coal declined in the first half, according to data released by the Indian Ports Association (IPA).
The port of Chennai showed turnaround from deficit handling till June 2009 of the current fiscal to turn positive at end of the first half.
Kandla continues to be the top port with a volume of 39.34 mt in the first half followed by Visakhapatnam with 33.04 mt.
Chennai overtook JNPT as the third biggest port with a volume of 30.47 mt for the first half of the current fiscal.
“With the Chinese economy picking up we hope to see large volumes of iron ore exports from India,” said an official of a leading shipping company.




Source (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/10/13/stories/2009101350170500.htm)

ucY7oLvHwwE

is government taking any action for avoiding such problem from chennai port for free driving...?

Sical Logistics has formed a JV company with Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines for automotives management yard at Ennore Port near Chennai. As per the agreement signed on 14 October 2009, Mitsui will own 55 per cent while Sical will have 45 per cent equity.

The JV will combine the expertise of Mitsui in global automotives transportation and yard management with Sical's experiences in multi-modal integrated logistics and terminal operations.

The yard will manage automotives in complete built-up unit and cater to automotive exporters and importers based in India, and are scheduled to commence in the next fiscal.

source (http://www.projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?nid=28260)

:bash: Source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/nhai-likely-to-windennore-road-connectivityproject/373065/)

Is this wind up related to 20 odd km flyover from maduravoyal to chennai port

No it isn't..

Is this wind up related to 20 odd km flyover from maduravoyal to chennai port

Looks like these were road widening projects in North to provide better connectivity for Container Freight stations to ChPT. Wonder why two big institutions can't work this out for the past 10 years and the issue here is not even encroachments or resettling, atleast not yet, but about sourcing the money. Meanwhile this 100 Cr project has catapulted to 600 Crores.

A 2004 article says that this project envisages the following, i don recollect anything being done.
i. 4 laning of TPP (Thiruvotriyur - Ponneri - Panchety)
ii. Strengthening IRR from Madhavaram @NH5 to Manali.
iii. 4 laning access from Manali to ChPT and adding groynes for sea protection.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/nhai-revving-up-for-ennoremanali-project/121416/

The Chennai port-Ennore road connectivity project has hit a roadblock with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) sending feelers to the Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) that “it would wind up the project” if the latter fails to pay its share of Rs 300 crore for the proposed project. NHAI has set a deadline of October 20, to the latter to release the amount, according to sources.

The Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP), conceived in 1998, has been under implementation for the last 10 years. The project envisages improvement of a 30-km road network in north Chennai, which connects all the container freight stations (CFS) handling containers for the Chennai port.

According to sources, NHAI’s decision came after a meeting attended by the ChPT’s chief engineer in Delhi last week. It was learnt that NHAI had informed ChPT to release their revenue share, which at present is estimated to exceed Rs 300 crore.

This is in addition to the debt of Rs 110 crore, for which ChPT has already given its concurrence to NHAI. ChPT had earlier paid an initial amount of Rs 38 crore, which is part of Rs 300 crore.

Confirming the development that the port trust had received a letter from the NHAI and the same had been forwarded to the ministry of shipping for clearance, ChPT chairman Subhash Kumar said, “Our equity share has gone up in the project and we are awaiting a clearance from the ministry for the remaining Rs 240 crore.”

The project is estimated to be around Rs 600 crore, of which only Rs 267 crore is the drawing and construction cost. According to industry experts, when the project was conceptualised in 1998, the project cost was around Rs 100 crore which has now increased to Rs 600 crore. The delay in the project is resulting in a Rs 75 lakh loss for various logistics operators every day. Also, 350 accidents were reported in which 30 people died last year alone.

According to industry representatives, vehicle movement has now increased to 4,350 a day as compared to 2,050 a day. Had the road been properly laid, the trade could have generated Rs 30,000 crore business in the last five years, they said.

Another trade representative said the Chennai Container Terminal, inside the Chennai port, currently handles 100,000 boxes every month. This could have gone up 60 per cent if the connectivity had taken shape. It could have also brought in revenues of Rs 1,000 crore for the government since companies have to pay Rs 2.5 lakh duty for each container.

In 2003, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) — Chennai-Ennore port Road Company — was formed along with NHAI and the Tamil Nadu government, in which ChPT was one of the partners.

Subsequently, one of the stakeholders of the SPV — Ennore port — has pulled out from the project.

source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/nhai-likely-to-windport-road-connectivityproject/373677/)

The Chennai Port Trust is planning to award the construction of its Rs 3,686-crore mega container terminal by March 2010. The proposed terminal will have a capacity of five million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) per annum.

CPT chairman Subhash Kumar said nine companies had applied for request for qualification of which eight had been shortlisted.

These include L&T Transco Pvt Development Project Ltd, Chennai; Navayuga Engineering Co Ltd, Chennai; DP World Pvt Ltd, Mumbai; IL&FS Maritime Infra Co Ltd, Mumbai; Vadinar Oil Terminal Ltd, Mumbai; Mundra Port & SEZ Ltd, Ahmedabad; Lanco Infratech Ltd, Hyderabad, and GVK-Leighton Consortium, Mumbai. FGI Group failed to qualify.

The port is awaiting security clearance, which has been verbally granted, said Kumar, adding the public-private partnership document was sent to the appraisal committee last month. It is planning to call for tenders in the next eight months and award the contract by March 2010.

Of the total Rs 3,686 crore, Rs 963 crore would be spent for breakwater construction, Rs 500 crore for berths, Rs 360 crore towards dredging and Rs 124 crore for reclamation. The port contribution would be Rs 561 crore.

Commenting on the status of ro-ro terminal and the multi-level car parking facility, he said initially the port had planned to build the facilities on its own but now it has been decided to construct these on a build, operate, transfer basis. The projects would involve around Rs 49 crore and Rs 80 crore respectively.

Seven firms had responded to the expressions of interest. "Currently, the port is evaluating and would go for the RFQ shortly. The multi-level parking would have a capacity to park 6,000 cars,” added Kumar.

While Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) exports from the Chennai port increased 80 per cent year on year, Ford India too has started exports. Initially the auto major is planning to export 26,000-27,000 cars every year. “Going forward, the Chennai port will be one of the major hubs for car exports. The port may plan one more multi-level car parking,” he said.

The CPT has also proposed an idea to make Chennai port a gateway for international cruise. “The port is located in a metro and well connected to other places in the country. It can also receive chartered flights and this would attract international tourist,” he said. Till 2005-06, it received 15-16 vessels every year. This has now come down to only six, he said, adding, “We are not able to attract cruise due to poor infrastructure and lack of other facilities.”

In 2008-09, Chennai port handled 57.49 million tonnes of cargo. It has set a target of 75 million in 2011-12 and 100 million in 2015-16.


source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/workcontainer-terminal-likely-to-begin-by-march-%5C10/373576/)

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/tn-port-to-build-mega-terminal-for-rs-3686-cr-investment/376892/

The Chennai Port Trust is planning to award the construction of a Rs 3,686 crore mega container terminal by March 2010. The port trust has received nine proposals, of which one company was disqualified. The proposed terminal will have the capacity to handle 5 million twenty equivalent units (TEUs) per annum.

Speaking to Business Standard on the recent status of various projects at the port, Chennai Port Trust chairman Subhash Kumar said the port has called for request for qualification (RFQ) and nine companies have shown interest. The companies include L&T Transco Pvt Development Project Ltd, Chennai; Navayuga Engineering Co Ltd, Chennai; DP World Pvt Ltd, Mumbai; IL &FS Maritime Infra Co Ltd, Mumbai; Vadinar Oil Terminal Ltd, Mumbai; Mundra Port & SEZ Ltd, Ahmedabad; Lanco Infratech Ltd, Hyderabad; FGI Group of companies, Malaysia and GVK-Leighton Consortium, Mumbai. Of this, FGI Group of companies is not qualified.

The port is waiting for security clearance, which has been verbally granted, said Kumar. The PPP document was sent to an appraisal committee. He said the port is planning to call for a tender in the next eight months and planning to away the contract by March 2010, according to Kumar.

He said of the total Rs 3,686 crore, Rs 963 crore will be spent for breakwater construction, Rs 500 crore for berths, Rs 360 crore towards dredging and Rs 124 crore for reclamation. The port would spend Rs 561 crore on this.

Commenting on the status of the RO-RO terminal and a multi-level car parking facility, he said initially the port planned to build the facilities on its own. It has now been decided to build it on a BOT basis. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 49 crore and Rs 80 crore respectively. The port had called for an EOI for which seven firms responded. Presently, the port is evaluating and would go for an RFQ shortly. The multi-level parking would have a capacity for 6,000 cars, added Kumar.

He noted, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) export increased from the Chennai port has increased 80 per cent year-on-year. Similarly, now Ford India has begun to export.

Initially the auto major planned to export 2,6000-27,000 cars every year. “Going for-ward, the Chennai port will be one of the major hubs for car exports.” To cater to the requirements, the port may plan one more multi-level car parking, added Kumar.

HMIL produce 600,000 units a year, of which exports accounted for about half the company’s sales of nearly 500,000 units in 2008. Hyundai exported 135,000 cars in the first six months of 2009, a 22 per cent increase over a year ago.

The port trust has also mooted an idea to the Secretary - Tourism to make Chennai and Mumbai ports has gateway for international cruise. He said, both ports are located in the metros and are well connected to other places in the country. Both the metro cities can receive chartered flights and this would attract international tourists.

“We must do something to attract more cruise liners. Till 2005-06 Chennai port used to receive 15-16 vessels every year. Now only six vessels come.” Despite international cruise operators showing interest, we are not able to attract cruises due to the poor infrastructure and other facilities. Kumar said, Caribbean Tourism have shown interest in using Chennai port as a stop point.

The port is also planning to develop tank forms for Rs 50 crore, the construction of which is expected to be complete by September 2010.

In 2008-09 the port handled 57.49 million tonnes of cargo and set a target to handle 75 million in 2011-12 and 100 million in 2015-16.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2450/ennore.jpg

Source : Tamil Murasu e-paper

It is interesting to see that one of the biggest reasons for Chennai Port growth now is the expansion of economy of China. For instance, Ford is moving all of its exports to Chennai Port from JNPT by next year due to this reason. Additionally, the main competition is the Kolkata port in the east and is going through troubles of late. The govt is giving the Kolkata port a write off of Rs300 crores per year and is planning on stopping it. Of course, we now have the Ennore Port competing with the Chennai Port. The Japanese wish to make Ennore Port their main one for transport. Both Nissan and Toyota have decided on it and Japanese officials are pushing the govt with a list of infrastructure requirements for the port. So, Chennai and Ennore ports combine might become the top port of the country if it improves its infrastructure and keeps its development.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5293048.cms

L&T plans to generate 7000 MW power
2 Dec 2009, 2015 hrs IST, ET Bureau

COIMBATORE: Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has planned to increase its power generation capacity to 7000 MW in the near future.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a casting unit in Coimbatore on Wednesday, L&T CMD A M Naik said, the company will embark on power generation projects to reach a capacity of 5000 MW thermal power and 2000 MW hydro power within five years.

At present, its thermal power plant in Punjab generates 1320 MW and hydro power plant in North East produces 300 MW power. Mr Naik said, the company is currently using local coal as raw material but it is not averse to using imported coal, especially in coastal locations in the near future. While power business is major thrust area, the company is also equally focused on expanding its infotech business. "We want L&T InfoTech to grow faster. We are open to buying even small companies to make it sizable," he added.

On the financial services front, Mr Naik said, the company has deferred its plan to launch a dedicated fund for infrastructure right now. "We haven’t taken any decision on it and we hope it will be launched in six months time," he added.

Stating the company’s objective is to excel in hitch complex engineering works in alignment with the needs of the country, Mr Naik said, L&T is committed to expand business in Coimbatore when it plans to manufacture new products in the precision and line engineering segment.

He said the casting facility opened on Wednesday at L&T’s ‘Coimbatore campus’ located in Malumichampatti village near here will mainly cater to wind power industry. "Nearly 75% to 80% of the castings would be sold to International wind turbine manufacturers in India," he added.

The foundry has a peak capacity of 30,000 tonnes per annum and it is capable of continuous production of castings in the weight range of 10 to 25 MT each.

The company has invested Rs 120 crore at the facility, taking its total investment in Coimbatore to Rs 320 crore. It already has precision manufacturing facilities for various purposes apart from a switchgear design centre and valves facility in Coimbatore.

Noting that Tamil Nadu is top on its investment chart, Mr Naik said, the company is committed to invest Rs 4000 crore in port, shipyard and highways projects in the state. It is likely to be increased to Rs 5000 crore by next year. "This doesn’t include the investment already made in the facilities in Coimbatore and Chennai," he added.

http://www.livemint.com/2009/12/08212454/Maersk-to-stop-direct-Chennai.html

Bangalore: The world’s biggest container shipping firm, Maersk Line, will stop a direct service from Chennai to the US east coast from 5 February and run it from Colombo instead, dealing a blow to the Union government-owned Chennai port’s ambition to become a hub. :ohno::ohno:

At least two Chennai-based shipbrokers familiar with the development confirmed Maersk’s plan, declining to be named as they are not authorized to speak to the media. Maersk is the container shipping unit of Danish shipping and oil conglomerate AP Moller-Maersk Group A/S.

This move will also increase costs and mean delays for shipments from India, eroding the competitiveness of exports, said S.R.L. Narasimhan, secretary of the Western India Shippers Association.

The Maersk service, introduced in 2007 to tap the boom in container shipments to and from the US, is being stopped as traffic between the countries has dropped as the effects of the global slump have made the service unviable, shipping executives in Chennai said.

Clients in south India will now have to ship cargo to the Sri Lankan port on smaller feeder vessels, a process known as trans-shipment, which will add three-four days to the process.

Other trans-shipment destinations from India are Singapore, Port Klang in Malaysia, Dubai or Salalah in Oman.

India spends at least Rs1,000 crore a year on trans-shipment alone, as big ships are not able to call at the country’s ports due to depth restrictions, according to the Union shipping ministry. :bash:

From Jawaharlal Nehru Port, India’s busiest container port located in Mumbai, there are three separate weekly direct services to the US. One is run by Maersk, the second by a consortium comprising Hapag-Lloyd AG, CMA CGM SA, APL Ltd and NYK Line and, the third by a consortium of UASC Ltd, Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd, K Line and Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.

According to the terms of a contract signed with the Union government-owned Chennai port in 2001 for operating the terminal, DP World has to ensure that big main line vessels call at the port to haul cargo directly to destinations. This clause stipulated that at least 30% of the total container cargo handled at the terminal had to be moved in this way as part of efforts to make Chennai a container cargo hub on the east coast.

Maersk Line confirmed it was making changes to the existing MECL2 service between Chennai and North America from 5 February.

“We will offer multiple feeder sailings from Chennai to Colombo for onward connection to the MECL2, thereby providing more frequent sailing options to our customers,” said Rajiv Arvind, an executive looking after corporate communications at Maersk Line India.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Indian / TN govt's lethargic attitude towards Transhipment Hub is the main reason. No long term plans for port development. Colachel is in the media for the last 10 years. No action. Hope at least Kerala will develop the Vizhinam port and that way, some benefit will come to TN.

^^
I guess that given the current economy, companies want to reduce costs. I can understand Singapore beating us in transhipment, but Colombo?? It is a shame that a country as big as us cannot create a port that will be ahead of the ports around us and have to use feeders from there, thus increasing the costs. The right solution will occur when the amount of cargo will be large enough such that we can offer a deal to reduce cost to direct lines vs feeders. Such is the speed with which our govt acts.

It is a shame that a country as big as us cannot create a port that will be ahead of the ports around us and have to use feeders from there, thus increasing the costs. The right solution will occur when the amount of cargo will be large enough such that we can offer a deal to reduce cost to direct lines vs feeders.

True. If we just finish the 'TOUCH ME IF YOU DARE' project called Sethu samudram then Chennai(City, Ennore, L&T), Vizak and Calcutta ports will be able to handle volumes well in future and be done with trans-shipments to the west.

New tender likely for Ennore-Manali road

T K Rohit | TNN



Chennai: Eleven years after it was conceived, the 30-km Ennore-Manali expressway project is still in limbo. The delay by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in awarding the project has put brakes even on the improvement of the key stretch.
The Ennore-Manali road improvement project (EMRIP) was originally slated for completion in 2012. But the delay in awarding the contract to National Asphalt, the company shortlisted to execute the project, has led to the tender being scrapped and the project will have to wait till the NHAI calls for another tender. National Asphalt did not get any communication to proceed with the development of the stretch, sources said. Another tender is likely to be called for by the NHAI soon.
Chennai Port chairman, Capt Subash Kumar, said the NHAI decided to cancel the tender as it was an year old. The Chennai Port had to infuse its share of Rs 250 crore, as part of equity participation in the project, but had apparently not paid the amount, which had to be cleared by the shipping ministry. However, the chairman said, “We want to participate in the tender, which will happen in a couple of months.”
Under the port connectivity scheme, a special purpose vehicle was formed to widen four vital roads – Madhavaram-Manali, Manali junction-MRF, Manali junction-Chennai Port, Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri road. Last December, NHAI officials said that they had called for fresh tenders that were being evaluated by the NHAI headquarters. The project has been through many hurdles including one of the stakeholders in the SPV, the Ennore Port, pulling out of the project.
Already the project cost has escalated six times from Rs 100 crore projected in 1998. The project cost was estimated at Rs 600 crore last year, but this is likely to see a further increase when the NHAI calls for the next tender, industry sources said.
Also in December 2008, over 15,000 truckers and trailers went on strike disrupting port operations, over complaints of bad roads between Chennai Port and Ennore. “The Chennai container terminal sees the second highest traffic in India at 1.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) per annum. When the second container terminal comes up in two years, we will double our cargo throughput,” Kumar said.
NHAI relaxes norms for bids
New Delhi: In a move that could finally result pushing the bidding process and speeding up the awarding of highway projects, the NHAI board has approved to relax the controversial sections of the ‘conflict of interest (CoI) clause in its meeting held on Wednesday. The board has approved a proposal to delete a clause on ‘associate’ in the CoI in the request for proposal (RFQ) norms.
The highway developers and financing institutions had been making this demand and claimed that this single condition resulted reducing the number of qualified bidders. At least 125 identified highway developers were facing the threat of disqualification under the present norms. If the board’s approval gets the nod from the ministry of road, this would facilitate the participation of major players in the highway development. In the present regime a bidder shall not be eligible for bidding if the bidder, its member or associate, was during a period of two months preceding the bid due date, either by itself or as a member of consortium prequalified for bid stage in eight or more projects or declared as selected bidder for four projects. TNN

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOICH/2009/12/14/18/Img/Pc0180800.jpg



http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Layout/Images/TOINEW/Elements/empty.gif

TIMES NEWS NETWORK (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=TOICH&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&AW=1260866204890)

Aware of its potential to cause unrest, the Centre on Monday wanted to put the controversial Sethusamudram project on the backburner by telling the Supreme Court that the RK Pachauri-headed expert committee could take another 18 months to give its report.
This information by additional solicitor-general Harin Raval led a Bench, comprising Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justices RV Raveendran and JM Panchal, to wonder about the judgment, which it had reserved 16 months ago on the question of legality of the Rs 2,400 crore project.
Referring to the report of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), which was termed as “a negative report against the existing alignment” by one of the petitioners, Subramanian Swamy, Raval said it was only an input for the expert committee.

Next hearing on Sethu on February 23

KYSE26aVjSk

copyright:magnificent photographer
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2772/4219269576_3be1dcc5c9_b.jpg
Location: Chennai Port

copyright:magnificent photographer
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2772/4219269576_3be1dcc5c9_b.jpg
Location: Chennai Port



That's really a nice shot....from which place did you take this photo?

^^ I didn't take the photo. It was taken by a user called magnificent photographer in flickr. It is his copyright. I think this pic has been taken ear Anna square.

http://www.blonnet.com/2010/01/12/images/2010011251501701.jpg

The Private-Public-Partnership Advisory Committee (PPPAC) has cleared the Rs 3,686-crore mega container terminal at the Chennai port paving the way for the issue of RFP (request for proposal) for the project.

The project will increase the port's annual container terminal handling by 4 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) to the present capacity of 2.2 million TEUs. “We hope to issue the project contract by March,” Capt. Subash Kumar, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust (ChPT).

The country's first mega container terminal to be built on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis will have a 2-km long quay length in a straight line at the new outer harbour, with a 2.75 km extension of existing outer arm breakwater and a new northern breakwater of about 1.73 km emanating from the Eastern Breakwater of the fishing harbour.

The preliminary estimate works out to Rs 3,686 crore for the entire development, out of which the selected bidder is estimated to invest Rs 3,125 crore; the rest of the investments shall be made ChPT. The 90 hectares of land area behind the terminal will be the back-up and storage area which has to be reclaimed.

Eight companies, including DP World, L & T Transco and IL &FS Maritime Infra Co Ltd have shown interest in the project. The port trust will call for RFP in the next few days, Capt Kumar told Business Line.

Increasing throughput

Chennai port has been achieving container throughput of over one million TEUs in the last two years. The first container terminal was privatised in 2000 and formally handed over to Chennai Container Terminal Private Ltd (CCTL) in November 2001. The second terminal with a capacity of 1 million TEUs was given to PSA-SICAL (CITPL).

It is forecast that the volume will outstrip available capacity of 2.2 million TEUs by 2016-17. Thus a need for a mega terminal to cater to this demand for the next 30 years is envisaged.

Connectivity

Industry sources welcoming the nod by PPPAC, which oversees all PPP projects in the country, for the mega terminal, cautioned that without a good connectivity to the port, such a massive project will not be viable. The elevated corridor from Chennai port to Maduravoyal and the Ennore-Manali road projects are critical for the success of the mega terminal. The rail connectivity to the port should also be enhanced for easy evacuation of containers from the port, they said. “So far connectivity has been the major hindrance for the growth of the Chennai port's container throughout,” they say.

Source: http://www.blonnet.com/2010/01/12/stories/2010011251501700.htm

Source (http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/12/stories/2010011260550700.htm)

Special Correspondent CHENNAI: The Ennore port, which, for the first time, recorded a net of profit of Rs.41.46 crore and paid a dividend of 15 per cent, has received ‘Mini Ratna’ status from the Centre.
Talking to reporters here on Saturday, Union Minister of Shipping G.K. Vasan said the Chennai Port Trust had achieved the distinction of becoming the second biggest port in the country in container traffic and 87th at the international level by handling one million tanker units per annum. The Tuticorin port had also set a record by handling 17.63 million tonnes of cargo till December 31 last year as against 16.94 million tonnes during the same period in the last financial year. At the current rate, the port could surpass the target of 22.01 million tonnes of cargo for the current financial year.
Earlier, the Minister launched the website of the party’s magazine Desiya Murasu.

Source (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/shipping-ministry-calls-meeting-for-chennai-port-road-project_100302724.html)

Chennai, Jan 12 (IANS) The shipping ministry has called a meeting of Chennai Port Trust and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Jan 18 to sort out the tangle and take forward the Chennai Ennore Port Road project, the cost of which has increased to Rs.600 crore now, a senior port official said Tuesday.
The project was conceived in 1998 to improve the 30-km road in north Chennai to ease the traffic. “The shipping ministry secretary has called a meeting Jan 18 to discuss the issues relating to the project. The main issue is the drastic increase in the project cost - from Rs.160 crore when it was announced 10 years back and Rs.600 crore now,” Chennai Port Trust chairman Subhash Kumar told reporters here.
He said new elements have got added to the original project like the service lane which increased the project cost.
“The shipping ministry is asking the reasons for the drastic jump in the project cost,” Kumar added.
Chennai Port Trust, NHAI and the Tamil Nadu government floated a special purpose vehicle called Chennai Ennore Port Road Company Ltd for the purpose.
“We have given Rs.38 crore as our share which shows our interest in the project,” Kumar said.
The port lacking space for further expansion has got the state government’s sanction for 125 acres on 99-year lease in Sriperumbudur near here for building an integrated dry port and multi-modal logistics hub.
“Containers can be brought there where stuffing or destuffing of goods can be made for onward journey. We may also start a container freight station there. The total project outlay will be around Rs.100 crore,” Kumar said.
Chennai port is also planning development of additional berth facilities and has invited Expression of Interest for Development of a RO-RO (roll on, roll off) cum multi-purpose berth with a multi-level and a barge jetty-cum-liquid cargo terminal.
Categorically ruling out shifting of coal terminal to Ennore Port, Kumar said: “Coal can be handled in a manner that does not pollute the environment. World over ports handle coal.”
He said to contain the coal and iron ore dust improvised sprinkler systems, semi-mechanised closed coal conveyor system have been commissioned last November.
Chennai port has decided to have a 7.5 MW wind energy farm in Tirunelveli district at an outlay of Rs.49.31 crore.
The port has earned Rs.538 crore revenue during April-December 2009.


Ippo ennanreenga? Road poduveengala mateengala?

How bad is the road infrastructure for Chennai port :bash::bash:

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/01/27/20100127a_002101002.jpg

dkn

How bad is the road infrastructure for Chennai port :bash::bash:

http://dkn.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/01/27/20100127a_002101002.jpg

dkn

are they (TN Govt) developing any separate way for transporting such giant material from port...???:bash::bash::bash:

^^see how efficient we are??? if we can transport such gigantic cargo through our narrow lanes, then what is the need for Expressways/elevated roads ??? lol

Govt clears four port projects worth Rs 4,120 cr (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/govt-clears-four-port-projects-worth-rs-4120-cr/84158/on)
Press Trust of India / New Delhi January 27, 2010, 16:10 IST

A high-level panel, headed by Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla, has cleared four port expansion projects entailing an estimated investment of Rs 4,120.29 crore in three states.

The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) has granted approval for development of mega container terminal at the Chennai Port at an estimated cost of Rs 3,125 crore, an official statement said today.

The committee, in a meeting held earlier this month, also cleared the project to develop a multi-purpose berth at the Paradip Port in Orissa to handle clean cargo. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 387.31 crore, it said.

The panel approved development of the second North Cargo Berth at the Tuticorin Port in Tamil Nadu for handling bulk cargo at a cost of Rs 332.16 crore.

The development of container terminal at the New Mangalore Port has also been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 275.82 crore.

^^Great news but with the Elevated Road Project in a limbo, dono how are we going to manage the congestion and traffic?

Can they not plan for a exclusive railway link from ChPT to the Dry Port which is being planned near Sriperumbudur? May be that will ease things a bit.

New Delhi: Shipping minister GK Vasan has called a meeting of senior officials from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Chennai Port Trust, Ennore Port Ltd and Tamil Nadu government to sort out issues hindering two key port connectivity projects in the state.

The two projects are Chennai port-Maduravoyal elevated expressway and Ennore-Manali road improvement, which were slated to be completed by March 2012. However, disagreements between the stakeholders on cost sharing and cost escalation issues have delayed both.

In fact, in case of Ennore-Manali road improvement project, planned in 1998, NHAI has not been able to award the contract after the original contractor National Asphalt Products and Construction Company withdrew.

“The minister wants to expedite the two projects as it is necessary to improve the road connectivity to major ports, even as minor ports like Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone are having a better infrastructure linkage. To this end, he is meeting the parties involved in the two projects early next week in Chennai,” a senior official in the shipping ministry told FE.

Besides senior officials from NHAI, Chennai Port, Ennore Port and Tamil Nadu government, the meeting will also be attended by additional commissioner of police (traffic) and representatives from Municipal Corporation of Chennai, the ministry official added.

The 19-km long Chennai Port-Maduravoyal project was launched last year by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but the delay on the part of shipping ministry in clearing the Chennai Port’s share of land acquisition and rehabilitation cost led to slow progress of the project. The estimated project cost of Rs 1,655 crore includes Rs 310 crore to acquire land and rehabilitating dislocated people and the same is to be shared by the Tamil Nadu government and Chennai Port Trust equally.


The completion of this project would facilitate faster movement of transport vehicles to and from Chennai Port and is likely to reduce the traffic on Poonamallee High Road, which is one of the roads linking the port with the outside facilities.

In case of Ennore-Manali project, which will cover 30-km area, original contractor National Asphalt has withdrawn because the government did not agree to its demand of higher compensation. The project has already witnessed a six-time jump in cost to Rs 600 crore. Now, NHAI has to re-tender the project and the ministry expects the cost to go up further.


Source: Financial Express (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Shipping-ministry-calls-meeting-to-speed-up-port-connectivity-projects/575098/)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/02/11/stories/2010021151990200.htm

Japanese companies including car makers Nissan and Toyota and large engineering companies such as Toshiba are pushing for a speedier implementation of the Ennore Port connectivity projects.

In an informal chat with Business Line , Mr Kazumasa Kuboki, Director-General, Japan External Trade Organisation, said if the Tamil Nadu Government were to expedite the projects it would send out an “encouraging message to Japan.”

At a presentation by a number of Japanese infrastructure companies on modern technologies for road infrastructure, Mr Kuboki said Toyota, which is setting up a second facility in Karnataka, is considering using Ennore Port for car exports. Nissan is expected to commence exports from August from its plant near Chennai. Toshiba, which has a joint venture to manufacture turbines for thermal power plants, also hopes to use the Ennore Port.

These are just a few random instances of Japanese companies that are depending on the Ennore Port infrastructure.

Referring to the State Government's proposal to earmark over 800 acres for country-specific industrial enclaves, he said Japanese companies were also keen to set up facilities in the region.

In the pipeline

The Tamil Nadu Government has in the pipeline a number of projects to improve the port's connectivity. These include the Ennore-Manali Road Improvement project for which a special purpose vehicle has been promoted with Chennai Port Trust, Ennore Port, Government of Tamil Nadu and the National Highways Authority of India; another project envisages upgrading the North Chennai Thermal Power Station road; and a new road linking Ennore Port's North Gate to the National Highway 5 leading to Kolkata.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Kuboki, said the Japanese companies led by Nissan, Toshiba and JETRO have formed a road and port infrastructure development committee to collaborate with the State Government's infrastructure and monitoring and coordination committee to follow up on the development of these projects.

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have emerged major destinations for Japanese FDI rivalling investments made in the NCR (National Capital Region). Japan was also keen that the connectivity between Chennai and Bangalore be strengthened with an expressway and an adjacent high speed, ‘Bullet Train' rail link between Chennai, Bangalore and Mysore.

Japanese companies have also set up a committee to interact with the Karnataka Government on development of an exclusive 1,000-acre industrial area for themselves, he said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TN is talking for years now for creating country specific zones. No action till now.:bash::bash:

It's not only we cry for our infrastructure improvement but also Japanese are also crying for it.
Look at their situation they are investing and pleading us for infra improvement if we don't wake up now not even God can save us.

To hell with MOEF.:bash:

L&T to invest $400 mn on expanding shipbuilding capacity (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/engineering/LT-to-invest-USD-400-mn-on-expanding-shipbuilding-capacity/articleshow/5579388.cms)
16 Feb 2010, 1248 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: Construction major Larsen & Toubro today said it will invest USD 400 mn in ramping up its ship manufacturing capacity.

"We have lined up investment for around USD 400 million which will be spent on ship building capacities mostly dedicated to navy near Ennore port," Larsen & Toubro Senior Executive Vice President and member of the board M V Kotwal told PTI on the sidelines of the defence expo 2010.

Over the next four-five years, we are targeting a revenue of Rs 2,500 crore from defence, nuclear and avionic segment.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Govt-to-put-2-port-projects-on-fast-track/582560/

New Delhi: The government has decided to contribute equity to two key port connectivity projects in Tamil Nadu. In a meeting held under the chairmanship of shipping minister GK Vasan in Chennai on February 8, the government agreed to provide necessary funds for acquiring land and rehabilitating dislocated people to start work on Chennai Port-Maduravoyal and Ennore-Manali road projects, a development that is expected to put the projects on fast track.

The two projects were slated to be completed by March 2012, but have been stuck due to cost sharing and escalation issues. Now, to ensure that these are completed within the specified time, Vasan also decided to raise the equity participation of Chennai Port Trust to Rs 140 crore from Rs 38 crore earlier and to double the contribution of Ennore Port Trust to Rs 34 crore for the respective projects.

“The shipping ministry has allowed release of money from the ports. Once the state government also contributes its share of expenditure, the ports will meet the remaining requirement through loans,” a senior government official told FE. “The ministry has also approved the increased cost of Rs 600 crore for Ennore-Manali project,” the official added.

The 19-km Chennai Port-Maduravoyal project was launched last year by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. However, delay by the shipping ministry in clearing the Chennai Port’s share of land acquisition and rehabilitation cost led to slow progress of the project. The estimated project cost of Rs 1,655 crore includes Rs 310 crore to acquire land and rehabilitating dislocated people. The same is to be shared by the Tamil Nadu government and Chennai Port Trust equally.

Completion of this project would facilitate faster movement of transport vehicles to and from Chennai Port and is likely to reduce the traffic on Poonamallee High Road, which is one of the roads linking the port with the outside facilities.

The cost of Ennore-Manali project, which is in the pipeline since 1998, has increased from Rs 150 crore to Rs 600 crore due to changes in the original development plan like addition of service road to four lanes of Thiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti road, an underpass in Ennore Expressway and drainage on Manali Oil Refinery Road.

Earlier, the government was in disagreement on the escalated cost, and this led to original contractor National Asphalt withdrawing from the project. The National Highways Authority of India has to re-tender the project now.

The meeting was attended by state highways minister Vellakoil Saminathan, Ennore Port chairman and managing director S Velumani, Chennai Port Trust CMD Subhash Kumar and officials from NHAI.

^^ Huh, lets see that in action.!!

NTPC, L&T and TNEB keen on Ennore project (http://beta.thehindu.com/business/companies/article139054.ece)


NTPC and EPC firm Larsen and Toubro are among the companies that have shown keen interest in partnering Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in its $750-million LNG import terminal at Ennore near Chennai, newly appointed IOC Chairman B. M. Bansal said here on Wednesday.

“Many companies have evinced interest in the project. NTPC, L&T, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) are among those,'' Mr. Bansal told reporters.

However, IOC has not yet decided if it will build the 2.5-million tonne a year liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal on the outskirts of Chennai.

“The investment decision will depend on the detailed feasibility report (DFR) which we have commissioned,'' he said. The report is expected by the end of this year. IOC had in 2007 put on hold the LNG import-cum-re-gasification terminal after huge gas finds off the East Coast made the project economically unviable.

Similarly, Mr. Bansal said IOC was looking at equity partners in companies like Saudi Aramco and Kuwait Petroleum for its Rs.29,777-crore Paradip refinery project in Orissa.

“We are thinking to offer equity to someone who can bring synergy to the project,'' he added.

IOC is looking at companies which can supply crude oil to the 15-million tonne a year refinery that is scheduled to be completed by March 2012. Companies like Saudi Aramco, the world's largest crude oil producer, and Kuwait Petroleum Corp may fit into the scheme as oil supplier to the project.

“So far discussions have not taken place with anyone but we will like to begin them soon. Strategically, we wanted to offer equity at a premium, but if financial problems persist we will have to advance it,'' he added. IOC wants someone who can commit long-term crude supply as equity partner.

IOC had last year signed a loan agreement with a consortium of lenders led by State Bank of India for term loan worth Rs.14,900 crore for the project.

Mr. Bansal said IOC was targeting commissioning of the refinery in the first quarter of 2012.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/chennai-port-remains-indifferent-dredging-552

Chennai, March 19: Raising a major threat to vessel traffic, the channel dredging at Chennai port is pending for the last three months as the two dredging vessels, worth nearly Rs 100 crore, are not working due to lack of maintenance.
According to sources, two dredgers, Kaveri and Pride, owned by Chennai port trust (CPT), have not been working for quite sometime and the port’s prestigious floating crane Thangam is being misused.
According to a senior official, the required depth of the channel is not being maintained as the two dredger vessels have stopped operations. “Normally, a dredger has to be dry-docked once in three years. Both vessels have not been dry-docked in the last seven years and the port is yet to take a decision on sending it for dry-docking. At the same time, Thangam, exclusively meant for handling containers between vessels and the wharf, is being used as a dredger, thus spoiling its operational capacity,” he said.
“Authorities are spoiling Thangam also. Several crores worth crane vessel’s dock is already damaged by dumping mud and sand and it has to be sent for maintenance immediately,” another official told Deccan Chronicle.
When contacted, CPT chairman, Capt. Subhash Kumar said that the vessel maintenance works were on time. “We have handled about 2,300 vessels in the last one year and internal operations, including dredging, on time.”

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/03/28/stories/2010032851700200.htm

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd (TKM) will use the Ennore port for exporting its cars even as it will continue to use the Chennai port to export components, according to its Deputy Managing Director (Commercial), Mr Shekar Viswanathan. “We are in discussion with Ennore Port Ltd on this. While the focus is currently only on the domestic sector, we need to plan for exports from next year,” he told newspersons.

The car maker was also open to sharing some of the common infrastructure facilities such as car washing with its Japanese competitor Nissan, which plans to export its car from the Ennore port, he said after TKM showcased a concept of the Toyota Etios, the compact car in India.

Like Toyota, Nissan Motor India, which will begin producing cars at its greenfield facility near Chennai from May, will use the Chennai Port for exporting components.

The company plans to export $ 20 million of components in 2010, going up to $40 million in 2012. Nissan plans to begin exporting its small car Micra from September.

Since the export volume will not be high to begin with, TKM (a joint venture between Toyota and Kirloskar) will not require large infrastructure. However, discussions are on with the Ennore Port on identifying land, he said without divulging the export plans. “We are only in the logistics planning stage for exports,” he said.

TKM's Managing Director, Mr Hiroshi Nakagawa, said the company's production capacity at Bidadi, near Bengaluru, will nearly double in the next two years. The plant is producing nearly 80,000 vehicles such as Corolla Altis, Innova and Land Cruiser. It will produce another 70,000 of Etios annually, he said.

The production of Etios will start from this year-end mainly for the domestic market, he said.

Column: Port of call for corporatisation (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Column--Port-of-call-for-corporatisation/597174/)
Joseph Vackayil
Posted: Tuesday, Mar 30, 2010 at 2129 hrs IST
Updated: Tuesday, Mar 30, 2010 at 2129 hrs IST

: Ports are a nation’s face to world business. Their performance, capacity and technical capabilities are a measure of a country’s development. When Indian policymakers decided to unfetter the shackles of the economy, waves of reform also swept across the ports. The cargo handling capacities of major Indian ports are set to be raised to over 1,000 million tonnes (mt) a year by 2012, from just half that capacity today. As the date draws closer, it is unlikely that the ports will be scaled up to the targeted level with an estimated gap of 35-40%.

A major share of the needed investment is expected to come from FDI and the Indian private sector. However, with investment severely lacking, the ports are wanting in modernisation and equipment. In this dismal scenario, the Ennore Port Ltd (EPL), India’s first corporatised port with its success in attracting private investment is the only silver lining. This just-born (in 2001) port will have achieved in 15 years what older ports took decades to accomplish. By 2016, EPL will have the capacity to handle over 80mt of cargo. Investments by companies and the private sector will exceed Rs 5,000 crore, more than half of which will be from the private sector.

At conception, EPL was only a satellite of the Chennai port, but in a decade it has become India’s first corporatised port. EPL charted its course by wearing the mantle of a ‘landlord port’, facilitating the development of world-class facilities, making it the eastern gateway port of India. It is now able to handle coal and a privately owned marine liquid cargo. By August 2010, two more terminals will be ready for handling coal and iron ore. EPL is building a terminal to handle cars and project cargo. A plan for a container terminal is caught in legal wrangles, but it is believed that litigation is coming to an end and EPL will continue to build a container terminal.

IOC is expected to play the lead role in developing an LNG terminal with its subsidiaries and a foreign strategic investor. This will boost the fortunes of EPL as the LNG terminal can help develop several downstream industries. TNEB is also planning to develop a new thermal power project with coal linkage through EPL. By 2015-16, EPL’s coal handling capacity is expected to be about 43mt. With its rapid development, EPL is the port of call for modernisation and privatisation.

Mitsui to link Chennai, Thai ports... (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/03/23/stories/2010032350761800.htm)


Chennai International Terminals Ltd (CITPL), the second private container terminal in the Chennai port, has attracted yet another shipping line for regular container feeder service.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, the Japanese company, will start a new weekly service linking the Thai port Laem Chabang with Chennai.

The new service will commence from Laem Chabang port in Thailand on March 23 with the container vessel MOL Evolution starting the first voyage.

After a stopover at Singapore and Port Kelang, the ship will call at CITPL on Friday and leave the port the next day.

Feeder services

CITPL is operated by the private consortium PSA-Sical.

Already, four feeder services have been calling this new terminal that commenced operations last year.

Shipping Corporation of India runs its INDFX2 service at the new terminal; Seaways - SCFS service; Transport Corporation of India - TCIX service and St John - JCLPS service.

Mitsui said that Chennai was a major market on India's east coast and is positioned for future growth.

The SMX route will draw on MOL's full-scale network to offer wide variety of both inbound and outbound services to meet the rising demand in this region.

Source said that there are already three weekly services from Thailand to DP World Chennai, the first private container terminal run by DP World, Dubai.

The services are run by NYK-RCL consortium, Gati and SeaCon.

Weekly nearly 1,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) comes from Thailand and nearly 900 TEUs moves out of Chennai to Thailand. Auto component is the major cargo handled in this sector, the sources said.



In a couple of years, North TamilNadu & maybe even Southern AP will soon have the L&T's Kattupalli shipyard -cum- port to compete with the existing Ennore, Chennai, Krishnapatnam & Vizag ports. So lots of options for prospective investors who plan for export/import oriented projects to choose locations for their investments among the surrounding regions from.

In the competition among the various states/regions in bagging project investments - It seems for the competitors to have functional ports alone is not enough but rather have container terminals associated with them, that provide good & quick connectivity to the rest of the ports around the world is a substantial advantage. This feature is, in addition to the good road / rail /power infrastructure, labour skills, law & order aspects, expected of a competitive, investment seeking region.

I think shipping/container services like the above mentioned at the ports in Chennai will be very attractive for companies to choose & establish their prospective export oriented or domestic-cum-export oriented manufacturing projects in the regions not far away from the port.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/02/stories/2010040252410500.htm

The toll road will be completed within two years, say Port Trust officials

Chennai Port handled 61.06 million tonnes this fiscal

It will spend Rs.140 crore for modernisation works

CHENNAI: The cost of the Chennai-Ennore Port Road Connectivity Project (formerly EMRIP) will be scaled down by Rs.50 crore to Rs.550 crore, said Chennai Port Trust officials on Thursday. The reduction is due to fall in steel and cement prices in recent times. A toll-road, it will be completed within two years.

When questioned by the Union Shipping Ministry about a four-fold increase in the EMRIP from Rs.150 crore to Rs.600 crore, the officials said that it would cost around Rs.550 crore.

On March 10, Chennai Port Trust officials communicated their commitment to contribute the increased equity share of Rs.139.80 crore and loan/debt contribution of Rs.110 crore towards the project.

“For the last one month, we have been hearing that the project cost is Rs.550 crore. But it is not given in writing. The special purpose vehicle for EMRIP is inviting fresh tenders for the project. The land acquisition is also proceeding at a faster pace,” the Chennai Port officials said.

To ease traffic congestion on the northern side, Chennai Port Trust has sought the Railways' help to lay third and fourth railway lines between Royapuram and Chennai Beach; and to provide four more entrances at gate no. 1 that would be doubled later.

“The compound wall will be pushed further as we have a vacant plot of five-acre near gate no.1. All those vehicles without a gate pass can be accommodated here. We are also requesting the State Chief Secretary to enable us to use gate no.10 on the southern side. Besides, gate no. 2, 2A and 3 will be thrown open for traffic movement,” they said.

Performance

For the year ending March 2010, Chennai Port handled 61.06 million tonnes of cargo as against the previous year's figure of 57.49 million tonnes, marking an increase of 6.20 per cent. However, the Port was not able to meet the Shipping Ministry target of 64 million tonnes for this fiscal due to global recessionary trend. This year, the target has been fixed at 65.50 million tonnes.

Talking to reporters, Chennai Port Trust Chairman Subhash Kumar said, “During April 2009-March 2010, the container traffic from the first terminal reached an all time high of 1.22 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) against 1.14 million TEUs. The container traffic from the second terminal is between 20,000 TEUs and 23,000 TEUs per month and we hope it would touch 0.3 million TEUs.”

Last year, the Port witnessed negative growth in export volume of iron ore, fertilizer and coal while POL, car and general cargo volumes increased as compared to last year.

On the mega container terminal, Capt. Kumar said that the Port will invite price bids from qualified bidders on receipt of security clearance from the Centre. Besides, Vessel Traffic Management System will be installed soon.

During April 2010-March 2011, Chennai Port Trust will spend Rs.140 crore for windmill farm (Rs.49.31 crore), modernisation of fire fighting system at the oil terminal (Rs.49 crore) and road improvement (Rs.40 crore), he added.

Chennai Port to invest INR 140 crore in 2010-11 (http://www.steelguru.com/news/index/MTQwMDM0/Chennai_Port_to_invest_INR_140_crore_in_2010-11.html)
Wednesday, 07 Apr 2010

The Chennai Port Trust is planning to invest around INR 140 crore in 2010-11. The port trust also said it was ready to give its share of INR 250 crore for the Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project.

Captain Subhash Kumar chairman of ChPT addressing the annual press conference said that the proposed investment included INR 50 crore to modernize fire fighting, INR 50 crore for wind farm and INR 40 crore for road improvement.

According to sources, the Ennore Manali project which was estimated to be around INR 600 crore earlier has come down by INR 50 crore due to reduction in steel and cement prices. The ChPT and Ennore Port will soon call for tenders for the project.

Mr Kumar said that the port trust would soon call for price bids from qualified bidders on receipt of security clearance from the Centre. Nine international operators have shown interest in the project.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/vessel-management-system-soon-624

April 26: The state-of-the-art Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) which is to be installed at the Chennai Port will ensure marine traffic safety and the continuous surveillance of vessels within the port and its vicinity. The project, estimated to cost Rs 13 crore, will be helpful for navigating vessels in and out of the port and will keep tabs on vessels within its radar coverage zone to prevent accidental stranding and collision trenching of sub-sea pipelines.

“The system will be fully functional within eight months. The VTMS integrated with Chennai port’s existing monitoring devices including Automatic Identification System (AIS) will be an efficient traffic control on the shipping side,” said Capt. Subash Kumar, chairman of Chennai Port Trust (CPT).:cheers:

The VTMS prepares electronic charts based on the radar sites, routes, harbour limits, anchorage, berths and dangerous zones and produce high performance day and night clear images of the vessels in the radar shadow area. “A CCTV subsystem of VTMS will monitor and identify vessels that are illegally sailing or parking at restricted areas. VTMS also facilitates recording of the complete radar process and ensures safe back-up of visuals,” said a port official.

...

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/port-system-keeps-tabs-vehicles-600

May 3: With the installation of the Radio Frequency Identification Device (RIFD), Chennai can now boast of the most advanced and protected port in the country. :cheers:

“RFID will monitor all container trucks and trailers entering the port everyday and it observe the movements and directions of each vehicle. Security officials will be able to locate vehicles moving inside the port and it will also be helpful to resolve traffic congestion inside the port,” said Capt. Subash Kumar, chairman of Chennai Port Trust (CPT). The system will also trace outdated passes and vehicles going in the wrong direction and caution messages will be passed to concerned officials immediately through a wireless system and via SMS and email.

According to senior port officials, vehicles with harbour entry permits will be using battery-assisted passive tags, which will automatically register the entry of vehicles at the harbour gate. The registration procedure will update the RFID database immediately and antennas installed at different junctions inside the port will monitor further movement of the vehicle once it's inside.

...

The Private-Public-Partnership Advisory Committee (PPPAC) early this year cleared the Rs 3,686-crore mega container terminal at the Chennai port paving the way for the issue of RFP (request for proposal) for the country's India's first mega container terminal at Chennai port on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

Considered to be the most ambitious port project Tamil Nadu, the mega terminal is to be designed to increase the port's annual container terminal handling by 4 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) from the present capacity of 2.2 million TEUs.

It is going to be big in all aspects. An example is the 2-km quay length in a straight line at the new outer harbour, with a 2.75-km extension of the existing outer arm breakwater and a new northern breakwater of 1.73 km emanating from the eastern breakwater of the fishing harbour.

Connectivity - critical

The success of the 100-hectare mega terminal project coming up on reclaimed land rests on the road and rail connectivity to and from the port. With the Chennai port located in the heart of the city, connectivity continues to be a major bottleneck.

Fortunately, action is being taken on that front. The elevated corridor from Chennai port to Maduravoyal and the Ennore-Manali road projects are crucial for the success of the mega terminal. The rail connectivity to the port should also be enhanced for easy evacuation of containers from the port. The preliminary estimate of the project works out to Rs 3,686 crore, out of which the selected bidder is expected to invest Rs 3,125 crore; the rest of the investments shall be made by the Chennai Port Trust. Eight companies, including DP World, L & T Transco and IL &FS Maritime Infra Co Ltd, have shown interest in the project.

Increasing throughput

Chennai port has been recording container throughput of over one million TEUs in the last two years. The first container terminal was privatised in 2000 and formally handed over to Chennai Container Terminal Private Ltd (CCTL) in November 2001. The second terminal, with a capacity of 1 million TEUs, was given to PSA-SICAL (CITPL).

It is expected that the mega terminal will cater to this demand for the next 30 years. Also, it would be in Chennai port's interest to develop facilities to cater to the latest generation of vessels so as to exploit the sharp increase in cargo volumes.

India has been witnessing a consistently robust growth in the container traffic in its ports, which has increased at a CAGR of 15.67 per cent over the past 5 years.

It is expected that with the growing potential for step-up in trade with the South-East Asian countries, the share of the south Indian ports is likely to increase even more. Considering these aspects, there is likely to be a shortage of capacity and there is an imminent need for additional container handling capacity in the southern ports, the tender document for the mega terminal says.

Terminal design

The terminal will be designed to facilitate berthing ultra large container ships of 15,000 TEUs and above. Initially, the port will have 18 m CD water depth at the berths, which can be further deepened to 22 m CD, depending on the size of the vessels calling at the terminal.

Source: http://www.blonnet.com/2010/05/13/stories/2010051351701800.htm

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/15/stories/2010051563800800.htm

The Rs.870-crore expansion programme of Ennore Port Ltd (EPL) will be completed by September 2010, said its Chairman-cum-Managing Director S. Velumani on Tuesday.

The programme includes setting up of iron ore terminal (Rs.360 crore) in two phases, coal terminal (Rs.400 crore) and multi-purpose berth and cargo terminal (Rs.110 crore).

The first two projects are being executed through public-private-partnership mode and as on date the participants have invested Rs.265 crore and Rs.225 crore respectively.

Over 80 per cent of the work relating to the first phase of iron ore terminal has been completed and it will be commissioned by September. In the first phase, the terminal will have six million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity.

According to Mr. Velumani, about 83 per cent of work regarding coal terminal is over. It will have a capacity of eight MTPA.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/ennore-port-project-back-track-deadlock-ends-813

Chennai, May 21: The Chennai-Ennore port connectivity project, which came to standstill after Chennai port trust delayed paying its share of Rs 300 crore, is all set to be revived.

“The Chennai port trust has given its consent for the project. We will receive tender bids for the project on June 2,” a senior NHAI official told this newspaper.

The official said after finalising the tender that the work order would be issued to the contractor. “We hope there will not be any further delay in awarding the contract as the port agreed to pay its share,” sources said.

The project consists of four components: Sea protection work on Ennore expressway; widening of the Ennore road to a four-lane expressway along with service roads on both sides on a 6.8 km stretch; improvement and widening of Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti Road and strengthening of the Inner Ring Road and Manali Oil Refinery Road.

The official said once the contract is awarded, work would be completed in 24 months.

...

SOURCE: THE HINDU (http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/12/stories/2010061252580500.htm)

A new benchmark among major ports in Asia and the world


CHENNAI: DP World Chennai, the operators of Chennai Container Terminal Ltd (CCTL), has achieved highest productivity on all fronts among the major ports in Asia and the world and has set a new benchmark, said Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) Chairman Capt. Subhash Kumar on Friday.

Delivering the keynote address at a workshop on ‘Packaging and forwarding for successful marketing and exports' organised by the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce (IACC), he said “Last year, DP World achieved highest productivity. It also recorded 100 moves per hour which cannot be achieved even by leading ports. Today, ChPT is the second largest port in the country. We handled 1.1 million TEUs and will be touching 1.60 million TEUs this year.”

“We are thinking big and are building the mega container terminal with a depth alongside of 22 metres to handle largest container vessels such as Emma Maersk that can carry about 15,000 TEUs. Currently, ChPT has a depth of about 16 metres. Initially, we will dredge up to 18 metres and might deepen it further as and when there is a demand for it. On completion, the mega container terminal will be one of the few ports in the country that can handle container ship of that size,” he said.

The Chairman said that tendering process for Ro-Ro terminal with multi-level car parking would commence soon and the facility would be ready by 2012-2013. To address the rail/road connectivity, steps were being taken.

Noting that the turnaround time of vessels including berthing time in CCTL was slashed to 24 hours from 6 days in 1980, Mr. Ennarasu Karunesan, DP World Chennai Director and CEO, said steps were taken to reduce it further to 16 hours. The largest vessel handled by CCTL was 6,500 TEUs and CCTL was ranked 79 {+t} {+h} in the maritime map during 2009 against 83 in the previous year. He also said that only 22 per cent of the cargo in India was containerised and there was enormous growth potential for container growth.

C. Sarat Chandran, Director, IACC, said that around 28 per cent of the Indian products were rejected at customs level and beyond due to inadequate packaging and insufficient labelling. The cancellation of order also meant loss of revenue and corporate image. Entrepreneurs should be aware of the latest packaging techniques to have an upper hand in the competitive world.

P. Gopalakrishna, Secretary, IACC said that to increase the bilateral trade between the two countries, an annual trade delegation would visit Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney during October.

***********************

KUDOS : KEEP THE GREAT JOB OF PUTTING CHENNAI ON THE TOP :cheers:

SOURCE: THE BUSINESS LINE (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/06/23/stories/2010062353641800.htm)

After tasting success at Karaikal, Marg Ltd, the Chennai-based infrastructure company, proposes to set up another port at Mogaiyur, about 30 km south of Chennai.

Marg will promote a company to execute the Mogaiyur port project that is expected to cost between Rs 300 crore and Rs 400 crore.
However, unlike the Karaikal port, which is to be expanded to a capacity of 21 million tonnes, the Mogaiyur port will remain small.

The Marg Chairman, Mr G.R.K. Reddy, told Business Line on Tuesday that the Mogaiyur port will be designed for vessels to call for minor repairs and inspections. Marg is in the process of acquiring land.

Marg has been encouraged by the performance of the other port it has promoted – the Karaikal port.

port's Q1 performance

In the first quarter of the current year, the Karaikal port's throughput is set to cross 1.3 million tonnes.

BHEL has turned out to be a regular customer.

Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd has decided to use the port to bring in crude to its Cauvery-Basin refinery.

Mr Reddy said that several cement companies were also using the port to bring in raw materials and ship out cements.

The port's current capacity is five million tonnes and is being expanded to 21 million tonnes. The expansion will cost Rs 1,600 crore.

*******************************

More Ports and infrastructure is surely welcome, but wonder about the feasibility of anothe port so close to Chennai, Ennore and even if you discount Kattupalli. Or is this another of those MARG deals (Remember how they advertised a grand signature tower and everything evaporated)

All these ports will ruin the coastline. It is better to have only 3-4 ports and have good coastal road connectivity e.g. widen ECR to 4 lane.

UK-based Eredene Capital Plc has won a bid in consortium to build and operate the Container Terminal at Ennore Port, Tamil Nadu. The estimated project cost of the Ennore Container Terminal is £207m (apporx Rs 1,437 crore).

Eredene bid for the project in a consortium headed by Spain’s leading port operator, Barcelona-based Grup Marítim TCB together with international construction group Obrascón Huarte Lain SA and one of India’s leading construction, power and engineering conglomerates, Lanco Infratech, the company said in a press statement.

Eredene has a 22 per cent stake in the consortium and its equity commitment to the project is up to approximately £23m, spread over a 48 month period. The commitment will initially be funded through existing cash reserves and then through the raising of additional capital into Eredene.

Grup Marítim TCB SL currently operates 13 terminals in six countries with a total installed capacity of 4.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

Work on the new Ennore Container Terminal is scheduled to take 33 months and it is expected to be operational by the end of 2013.

The concession will be awarded on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis for a period of 30 years. The terminal will have a quay length of 1,000 metres and an estimated throughput of 1.5 million TEUs annually. The terminal will provide 15-metre water depth at the berths and will be able to handle three container vessels of up to 8,000 TEUs simultaneously.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/eredene-capital-wins-bid-for-ennore-port/99493/on

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/06/28/stories/2010062852030300.htmSOURCE: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/06/28/stories/2010062852030300.htm

The Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) has cleared upfront tariff for the Rs 3,686-crore Mega Container Terminal, being proposed at the Chennai port.

The terminal's rated capacity will be 4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

The MCT, which is still in the RFQ (request for qualification) stage, will start with Rs 2.25/GRT (gross registered tonnage) for an hour as the berth hire charge.

This is slightly higher than the present charge of Rs 2.03 at DP World Chennai, according to a recent TAMP order.

The upfront tariff fixation need not necessarily follow the project parameters, but is based on certain pre-decided standards and norms.

In the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, upfront tariff was set considering a standard terminal configuration for 1,000 metre quay length. Consultants of Chennai Port Trust have suggested both options — a standard configuration of 1,000 metre and the project specific parameters.

The port chose the second option to base the tariff proposal.

Port-specific tariff

The upfront tariff is to be port-specific and not project-specific and is to stand valid normally for a period of five years, according to TAMP guidelines.

The MCT is expected to handle vessels of size up to 18,000 TEUs.

The scale of rates for terminal was framed based on various activities that are carried out by the existing terminal operator, DP World Chennai.

Currently, there are two private container terminals in Chennai operated by DP World and Port of Singapore Authority, respectively, with a combined capacity of 2.2 million TEUs. It is forecast that the container throughput demand will outstrip the capacity by 2016-17. The MCT was envisaged for the next 30 years.

Thinking big

The Chennai Port Trust Chairman, Capt Subhash Kumar, in a recent seminar said the port is ‘thinking big' and would build the mega container terminal with a depth alongside of 22 metre (at present 16 metre), to handle container vessels such as the world's biggest container ship, Emma Maersk, that can carry around 15,000 TEUs.

“On completion of the mega container terminal, Chennai will be one of the few ports in the region that can handle container ship of that size,” he said.

Salient features

Two breakwaters will be constructed to develop a harbour basin. The length of these breakwaters will be 1.73 km and 2.75 km.

The basin will be dredged to a depth of 18 metre.

The terminal will be constructed within the newly developed basin and will have length of 2 km. The dredged material will be used to reclaim a land of about 90 hectares behind the berth of the terminal.


-----------------------------------------------------------
Good to know something in Chennai is planned for on a long term basis. Chennai can become a premier PORT

any idea when the tender process will be completed for the MCT project?

[URL="http://www.financialexpress.com/news/chennai-port-plans-upgrade-to-meet-growing-mkt-demand/644432/0"]SOURCE: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/chennai-port-plans-upgrade-to-meet-growing-mkt-demand/644432/0[/URL

The oldest and the second largest container handling port of the country — Chennai Port — is well connected with major parts of the world and is the gateway port for all cargo. Infact, it is a major exporter of cars. While Hyundai uses Chennai Port to ship cars to international markets, other commercial vehicle manufacturers like Ford, Nissan and Ashok Leyland are also expressing interest to ship via the port. The port currently has the capacity to handle 30,00,000 TEUs (twenty equivalent units) and with the commissioning of the third mega container terminal being planned, the capacity would go up to 80,00,000 TEUs. In an exclusive interview with FE’s Kavitha Venkatraman, chairman of Chennai Port Trust Captain Subhash Kumar elaborates on the history, growth, development plans and performance of the port. Excerpts:

What are your development plans for the year?

Chennai Port has been a major exporter of cars. Last year, we shipped nearly 2,74,000 cars, 10% more than the previous year, despite the recession. There is huge demand from car manufacturers like Ford, Nissan, Ashok Leyland. They want to ship their products via Chennai Port but we have a lot of constraints on land. So, we are planning to have a Ro-Ro Berth (300-metre-long, 30-metre-wide and 12-metre-deep) at the southern end of the container terminal. The estimated cost of the project is about Rs 50 crore. Besides, we are also looking at setting up a multi-level car parking facility, having a capacity for 6,000 cars, at an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore. One ship load of cars can be stacked in that facility. The project is likely to be completed by 2012 end.

With the completion of the projects, there would be a need for bunker supply. So, we are investing Rs 50 crore to have more berths exclusively for bunkering. We are also planning an integrated dry port and multi-modal logistics hub near Sriperambudur SEZ with an overall investment of Rs 400 crore, including the cost of land. Discussions with the Tamil Nadu government are underway for allotment of about 125 acres inorder to develop the facility. The off-dock CFS will have onsite customs clearance facility. All the developments that we are talking about would be done via the PPP route.

Being the oldest port in India, how has the Chennai Port been progressing to catch up with the growing demand from the market?

It is a 130-year-old artificial port. It’s unique in a way as there is no sheltered harbour here. The port was developed into the sea by reclaiming land. We have two container terminals now at the port with an aggregate capacity of three million TEUs.

In terms of volume we hold the third ranking and second in container handling Among the top 100 ports across the world, we hold the 73rd rank. One terminal at the port is operated by Dubai Port World on a 30-year lease. The terminal has a capacity to handle 1.5 million TEUs. It has a quay length of 885 metres and 14.5 metres inner depth. The revenue sharing with the operator is good here. It is about 37% of their gross earning. In September last year, we started the second terminal with the same capacity. That is operated by the Port of Singapore and is on a 30-year lease. Here, the revenue sharing is 45.8%, which is very good and infact no other port terminal gives that kind of revenue sharing.

We are planning to have a mega container terminal with a capacity to handle 50,00,000 TEUs with an investment of Rs 3,686 crore. To be developed on PPP model, the terminal would be constructed north of Bharathi Dock with continuous quay length of 2 kilometre and 22 metre alongside depth. The plan is to commission the project by 2013 and make it fully operational by 2017. Once the project is commissioned, the overall capacity of Chennai Port would move up to 80,00,000 TEUs, biggest for containers. RFQ process is over. The port is awaiting security clearance from the shipping ministry for the project. Once the clearance is obtained, the works can be awarded within a month.
What infrastructure development have you planned for easy movement of cargo?

Lot of movement of cargo happens in and out of the city. There are some restrictions on movement of trucks. So, for better connectivity we have planned for a Chennai-Ennore Port road connectivity project (EMRIP). This project would connect northern expressway to Kolkata, New Delhi and Ennore Port.

We are also planning an elevated corridor linking Chennai Port gate no 1 to Maduravoyil. This would link Chennai Port to Bengaluru, Mumbai, Madurai and southern part of India. Both these four-lane road projects would provide good connectivity without mingling with the city traffic. The estimated cost of the EMRIP project is about Rs 600 crore. It would be developed via an SPV. Chennai Port, state government, NHAI and Ennore Port are stakeholders in the SPV.

Chennai Port would invest Rs 139.8 crore as equity and Rs 110 crore as loan.

The estimated cost of the elevated corridor project is Rs 1,655 crore. NHAI is doing the project on BOT basis. But we have a commitment to look after the land acquisition and rehabilitation. We are sharing the cost with the state government and our part of the share works out to Rs 310 crore.

How has the cargo handling performance been last year? What is your target for the current year?

Last year, our target was to handle 64 million tonne. But we handled 61.06 million tonne. The Port witnessed negative growth in export volume of iron ore, fertiliser and coal while POL, car and general cargo volumes increased as compared with the previous year. Though we fell short of target due to recession, we saw a 6.3% growth during the year compared with previous year’s 57.49 million tonne. This year, the target has been fixed at 65.50 million tonne. During April 2009-March 2010, the container traffic from the first terminal reached an all time high of 1.22 million TEUs against 1.14 million TEUs. The container traffic from the second terminal was between 20,000 TEUs and 23,000 TEUs per month and we hope it would touch 0.3 million TEUs.

This year, we are quite positive about achieving the set target. Infact, during the first three months of the current fiscal year, we have already handled 15.36 million tonne as against the corresponding period previous year performance of 14.24 million tonne.

Tamil Nadu is a good tourism destination. Is there any plan to develop tourism in association with the state government?

We get atleast 10 cruise ships in a year. These ships go around the globe and while passing through Bay of Bengal, reach Chennai Port. Now, I am thinking if with the help of state government we can work out something for tourism. There can be regular service from Chennai to other ports and one can see places like Columbo and Singapore. The tourism department can offer some package tours. I have started discussions with the Tamil Nadu government and the tourism department. Theses have approved of the idea. Now we will have to come out with some concrete proposal. This idea might not be beneficial to the Port. But I have proposed the idea in the interest of the nation.

Tamil Nadu is a good tourism destination. Is there any plan to develop tourism in association with the state government?

We get atleast 10 cruise ships in a year. These ships go around the globe and while passing through Bay of Bengal, reach Chennai Port. Now, I am thinking if with the help of state government we can work out something for tourism. There can be regular service from Chennai to other ports and one can see places like Columbo and Singapore. The tourism department can offer some package tours. I have started discussions with the Tamil Nadu government and the tourism department. Theses have approved of the idea. Now we will have to come out with some concrete proposal. This idea might not be beneficial to the Port. But I have proposed the idea in the interest of the nation.

Really encouraging. Would like to see that in action..

Grup Maritim-led consortium selected for building Ennore container terminal (http://sify.com/finance/grup-maritim-led-consortium-selected-for-building-ennore-container-terminal-news-news-kg3ca1ggdic.html)

BS Reporter | 2010-06-29 02:00:00

A multinational consortium headed by Grup Maritim TCB SL, a Barcelona-based leading port operator, has won a bid to build and operate the container terminal at Ennore Port in the state. The estimated cost of the project is £207 million (around Rs 1,435.82 crore).

The consortium, which also includes UK-based Eredene Capital plc, Obrascón Huarte Lain SA, and Lanco Infratech Ltd, was given a Letter of Approval (LoA) for the project on June 26 by Ennore Port Ltd. The port had shortlisted six contenders for the project.

Eredene has 22 per cent stake in the consortium, with an equity commitment of up to £23m (close to Rs 16 crore) spread over four years. "This commitment will initially be funded through existing cash reserves and then through the raising of additional capital into Eredene."

Grup Marítim TCB SL currently operates 13 terminals in six countries with a total installed capacity of 4.5 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units). "Work on the new Ennore container terminal is scheduled to take 33 months and it is expected to be operational by the end of 2013."

The concession would be awarded on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis for a period of 30 years. The terminal will have a quay length of 1,000 metres and an estimated throughput of 1.5 million TEUs annually. The terminal will provide 15-metre water depth at the berths and will be able to handle three container vessels of up to 8,000 TEUs simultaneously.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/06/stories/2010080662020100.htm

CHENNAI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has cancelled the bidding process for the Rs.550-crore Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP) stating that some of the stakeholders have failed to bring in their contribution.

A communication to this effect was sent to some of the stakeholders on Thursday, even as Chennai Port Trust officials termed it as an ‘arbitrary' move by the NHAI, as only the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) had the authority to cancel the bidding process. However, the letter did not pinpoint who failed to bring in their equity portion.

The EMRIP covers four important roads in north Chennai — Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti (TPP) Road, Ennore Expressway, Manali Oil Refinery Road and the northern portion of the Inner Ring Road from Madhavaram to Manali.

The NHAI, Chennai Port Trust (ChPT), Government of Tamil Nadu and Ennore Port Ltd (EPL) are the major players. The ChPT's contribution to the equity would be Rs.139.80 crore and loan/debt Rs.110 crore and EPL's contribution would be Rs.34 crore. Tamil Nadu Road Development Company, the managing associate, floated the tender in June this year and received 11 bids. Price bids were to be opened this month and eight bids had qualified at the technical stage.

ChPT Chairman K. Subhash Kumar sought to know how the letter cancelling the bid process could be sent even before the process could be completed. “How can NHAI cancel it without placing it before the SPV board,” he asked.

Talking to The Hindu, he said if bids were called for again, these firms may not show interest. “Since the tendering process had not been completed, the question of paying our share did not arise,” he said. The matter has been taken up with the Ministry. NHAI sources in Delhi said the bidding process had been cancelled as the ChPT had not paid its equity or given confirmation that it would pay.

“Once they pay the board can recall the tender process. We are writing to the Port Trust reminding them about their contribution, which has been delayed for quite some time,” an official said.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Minister for Highways and Minor Ports Vellakoil Saminathan has written to the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath urging him to expedite the project as it was a major corridor used by hundreds of heavy vehicles daily. He also asked the Centre to convene a meeting of all the stakeholders to sort out the issue amicably.

At a meeting in February, Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan pulled up the stakeholders for delaying the EMRIP. The project cost had risen from Rs.150 crore to Rs.600 crore.The meeting was attended by Shipping Secretary K. Mohandas, Mr.Saminathan and NHAI officials among others. “The price bid has been cancelled, which means that we have to undergo the entire process again and we have turned the clock back by three years. The project has been in limbo for the last 12 years. Nothing has moved apart from the papers,” said a port user.:bash:

http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/06/stories/2010080662020100.htm

CHENNAI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has cancelled the bidding process for the Rs.550-crore Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP) stating that some of the stakeholders have failed to bring in their contribution.

A communication to this effect was sent to some of the stakeholders on Thursday, even as Chennai Port Trust officials termed it as an ‘arbitrary' move by the NHAI, as only the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) had the authority to cancel the bidding process. However, the letter did not pinpoint who failed to bring in their equity portion.

The EMRIP covers four important roads in north Chennai — Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti (TPP) Road, Ennore Expressway, Manali Oil Refinery Road and the northern portion of the Inner Ring Road from Madhavaram to Manali.

The NHAI, Chennai Port Trust (ChPT), Government of Tamil Nadu and Ennore Port Ltd (EPL) are the major players. The ChPT's contribution to the equity would be Rs.139.80 crore and loan/debt Rs.110 crore and EPL's contribution would be Rs.34 crore. Tamil Nadu Road Development Company, the managing associate, floated the tender in June this year and received 11 bids. Price bids were to be opened this month and eight bids had qualified at the technical stage.

ChPT Chairman K. Subhash Kumar sought to know how the letter cancelling the bid process could be sent even before the process could be completed. “How can NHAI cancel it without placing it before the SPV board,” he asked.

Talking to The Hindu, he said if bids were called for again, these firms may not show interest. “Since the tendering process had not been completed, the question of paying our share did not arise,” he said. The matter has been taken up with the Ministry. NHAI sources in Delhi said the bidding process had been cancelled as the ChPT had not paid its equity or given confirmation that it would pay.

“Once they pay the board can recall the tender process. We are writing to the Port Trust reminding them about their contribution, which has been delayed for quite some time,” an official said.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Minister for Highways and Minor Ports Vellakoil Saminathan has written to the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath urging him to expedite the project as it was a major corridor used by hundreds of heavy vehicles daily. He also asked the Centre to convene a meeting of all the stakeholders to sort out the issue amicably.

At a meeting in February, Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan pulled up the stakeholders for delaying the EMRIP. The project cost had risen from Rs.150 crore to Rs.600 crore.The meeting was attended by Shipping Secretary K. Mohandas, Mr.Saminathan and NHAI officials among others. “The price bid has been cancelled, which means that we have to undergo the entire process again and we have turned the clock back by three years. The project has been in limbo for the last 12 years. Nothing has moved apart from the papers,” said a port user.:bash:

:bash::bash: This is the craziest move on part of any stakeholder.:bash::bash:

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/vasan-keeping-away-from-chennai-port/196896.html

CHENNAI: More than 14 months have passed since G K Vasan became Union Minister for Shipping in the present UPA government at the Centre, but the Congress MP from Tamil Nadu has “never once visited” the Chennai Port which is expediting important developmental projects in its 130th year of operations.

The “lackadaisical” attitude, which contrasts with the conduct of his predecessor T R Baalu, might end up in the port losing its status as a ‘Gateway of South India’ in coming years, caution exim traders.

Vasan’s “failure” in pressuring top officials of his Shipping Ministry and other pertinent departments for speeding up projects related to the Chennai Port was “seriously affecting” the fate of numerous endeavours worth over Rs 6,000 crore, they lament.

According to sources, the minister’s “lack of interest” in expediting projects like the Rs 2,200-crore two-road connectivity for free movement of container and heavy lorries, the Rs 300-crore dry port at Sriperumbudur and its ambitious Rs 3,700-crore mega-container terminal could reflect on the overall development of the historical port which faces serious competition from two fast-emerging ports not far from it: Ennore and Krishnapatnam.

While the promised Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project in North Chennai to reduce lorry traffic was recently cancelled, the Chennai Port suffered another jolt last month when SIPCOT, citing red tape, informed its inability to hand over the promised 125-acre land at Sriperumbudur for setting up an integrated dry port.

Port Trust officials all along maintain that the mega-container terminal project is “progressing well”, but the endeavour seems to be once again caught in a bureaucratic tangle at the Shipping Ministry. In fact, sources say, nothing has progressed after the technical bids stage in March last year. The sources recalled how Baalu, as Cabinet minister for Shipping in the previous Manmohan Singh dispensation (2004-09), who used to visit Chennai Port “quite often” and enquire about the day-to-day affairs for its sustained development. Vasan, after succeding him in May 2009, has “not paid even a courtesy visit” to the port premises to understand its prevailing conditions, sources said.

What’s more, Vasan has “failed to nominate” eight new trustees for the recently reconstituted Chennai Port Trust under other interests category (normally used for political appointments) for more than four months now.

The board, which was reconstituted for two years (April 2010- March 2012), met this June without the mandatory presence of two Labour representatives and eight members from other interests category.

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/vasan-keeping-away-from-chennai-port/196896.html

CHENNAI: More than 14 months have passed since G K Vasan became Union Minister for Shipping in the present UPA government at the Centre, but the Congress MP from Tamil Nadu has “never once visited” the Chennai Port which is expediting important developmental projects in its 130th year of operations.

The “lackadaisical” attitude, which contrasts with the conduct of his predecessor T R Baalu, might end up in the port losing its status as a ‘Gateway of South India’ in coming years, caution exim traders.

Vasan’s “failure” in pressuring top officials of his Shipping Ministry and other pertinent departments for speeding up projects related to the Chennai Port was “seriously affecting” the fate of numerous endeavours worth over Rs 6,000 crore, they lament.

According to sources, the minister’s “lack of interest” in expediting projects like the Rs 2,200-crore two-road connectivity for free movement of container and heavy lorries, the Rs 300-crore dry port at Sriperumbudur and its ambitious Rs 3,700-crore mega-container terminal could reflect on the overall development of the historical port which faces serious competition from two fast-emerging ports not far from it: Ennore and Krishnapatnam.

While the promised Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project in North Chennai to reduce lorry traffic was recently cancelled, the Chennai Port suffered another jolt last month when SIPCOT, citing red tape, informed its inability to hand over the promised 125-acre land at Sriperumbudur for setting up an integrated dry port.

Port Trust officials all along maintain that the mega-container terminal project is “progressing well”, but the endeavour seems to be once again caught in a bureaucratic tangle at the Shipping Ministry. In fact, sources say, nothing has progressed after the technical bids stage in March last year. The sources recalled how Baalu, as Cabinet minister for Shipping in the previous Manmohan Singh dispensation (2004-09), who used to visit Chennai Port “quite often” and enquire about the day-to-day affairs for its sustained development. Vasan, after succeding him in May 2009, has “not paid even a courtesy visit” to the port premises to understand its prevailing conditions, sources said.

What’s more, Vasan has “failed to nominate” eight new trustees for the recently reconstituted Chennai Port Trust under other interests category (normally used for political appointments) for more than four months now.

The board, which was reconstituted for two years (April 2010- March 2012), met this June without the mandatory presence of two Labour representatives and eight members from other interests category.

Vasan - Evenyellam oru manishana.

T.R.Balu though corrupt politician did a lot for TN
3 year fight with senior politicians of Calcutta, Mumbai &Kochi to bring Indian
Maritime university to Chennai is one good example.
many Hwys in TN, GS at Kathipara and Padi etc.

^^ TR balu dint plan any grade separators ... They were planned by Vajpayee Govt.

what else we can expect from TN INC :lol:

duplicate

what else we can expect from TN INC :lol:

Nothing.......one group is dancing for central party (delhi) ppl commands, another group for local ppl (guess) commands, they dont have any own idea and own vision for tamil nadu. sorry they have vision to fill their pockets. but they are good workers for......................:bash:

one video

HVxIm1E3dT8

:bash::bash: This is the craziest move on part of any stakeholder.:bash::bash:

This is called self wedging

CHPT does not have a proper approach road.on the north it has the entrance in the congested Royapuram area and in the south it is near the annasalai. So entry of trucks round the clock is not possible. Without the elevated expressway and Ennore expressway with the increasing traffic CHPT will lose out to other ports.

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/vasan-wakes-up-to-visit-ennore-port-today/197739.html

CHENNAI: Fourteen months after he took over as Union Minister for Shipping, G K Vasan is all set to visit the Ennore Port for the first time. On Friday, he would inspect and review the ongoing projects there.

Vasan’s proposed visit to the fast-emerging port near the Chennai Port comes in the wake of a recent Express report about his lack of interest in inspecting ports in the capital region of his native state.:)

Sources said on Thursday that the minister was to originally attend a function in the metro for signing of a Concession of Agreement for the development of a world-class container terminal between Ennore Port and Bay of Bengal Gateway Terminals at a city-based hotel, but changed his plan and asked the port management to arrange for an inspection at Ennore to get a spot report on the progress of it various important projects.

By announcing the inspection-visit to Ennore Port on Friday, Vasan has sought to put an end to the ongoing controversy on his laxity in doing it, unlike his predecessor T R Baalu.

Chennai Port sources said the minister was likely to visit the port premises in the next three weeks for general inspection and was expected to take up the Shipping Ministry the port’s ambitious Rs 3,600-crore mega-container terminal project.

A multinational consortium headed by Grup Maritim TCB SL, a Barcelona-based leading port operator, has won a bid to build and operate the container terminal at Ennore Port. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 1,400 crore and the concession would be awarded on a BOT (build, operate and transfer) basis for a period of 30 years. The terminal will have a quay length of 1,000 metres and an estimated throughput of 15 lakh containers annually

Thanmane singam. One thing is clear from this Vasan episode. If the protest is loud and clear and if we can prove it will affect the votes, the politicians will respond.

People must never forget this. Thats the only thing that makes politicians work.. POWER.:nuts:

SOURCE: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/08/14/stories/2010081451611600.htm (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/08/14/stories/2010081451611600.htm)

The Ennore Port Ltd (EPL) today signed a concession agreement with Bay of Bengal Gateway Terminals Pvt Ltd for the construction and development of the Rs 1,407-crore container terminal at Ennore on a build, own and transfer basis.

Bay of Bengal Gateway is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) promoted by Grup Maritim TCB, S.L., Spain; Obrascon Huarte Lain, S.A., Spain; Lanco Infratech Ltd and Eredene Capital PLC, UK/India.
Mr S. Velumani, Chairman and Managing Director, EPL, and Mr Mike Dekker, Director, Business Development, Grup Maritim, the lead consortium partner of the SPV, signed the agreement in the presence of the Union Shipping Minister, Mr G.K. Vasan.

The concession agreement is for 30 years. Construction of the terminal is likely to start in January and the terminal will commence operations in 36 months , Mr Dekker told Business Line. It is the first terminal project for the Spanish company in Asia, he said.

Mr Velumani said it will be the first container terminal in India with a continuous quay length of 1 km designed to handle the largest container ship up to the size of 14,500 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) and can berth three mainline vessels simultaneously. The terminal will have an annual handling capacity of 1.5 million TEUs.

A detailed project report is getting ready for taking up with the lenders, said an official of Eredene, which has a 22 per cent stake in the consortium. Its equity commitment to this project is around £23 million spread over a 48-month period. This commitment will initially be funded through existing cash reserves and then through the raising of additional capital into Eredene, said a recent press release.

Grup Marítim operates 13 terminals in six countries with a total installed capacity of 4.5 million TEUs, the release said.

Mr Vasan said originally conceived for coal handling for the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, Ennore is fast developing as a multi-cargo handling port. A sum of Rs 6,466 crore has been earmarked for 14 projects at the port. Most of the funds will be brought in by the private sector with the port providing infrastructure in the areas of waterfront, availability of sufficient depth and road and rail connectivity.

:cheers:

http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/14/stories/2010081464740800.htm

CHENNAI: A review meeting will be held soon after the conclusion of the current monsoon session of Parliament to ensure that the Rs.600-crore Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP) is implemented, said Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan here on Friday.

Talking to reporters, he said: “As the scheme is going to significantly help the State, it will be implemented. The Chennai port has already paid Rs.38 crore and the Shipping Ministry, ordered payment of Rs.10 crore. The Shipping Ministry has also given guarantee to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the speedy implementation of the project.”

Last week, the NHAI cancelled the bidding process for the EMRIP stating that Chennai port had failed to bring in its contribution.

“From the Chennai port side things are clear. We do not want this project to be delayed further and we are ready to provide finance. As three to four agencies are involved, it is taking time. We will hold a review meeting and see that the time factor is adhered to.

“I have already written to the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath and also spoken to issue necessary directions with regard to speedy implementation of this project,” Mr. Vasan told The Hindu.

He also said that his Ministry was interested in ensuring that all infrastructural projects in Chennai were taken up for implementation. They included the mega container terminal of the Chennai Port Trust, Sriperumbudur dry port and Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor.

North port access road

Mr. Vasan also said the North Port access road, with direct four-lane connectivity from the Ennore port to Thatchur on NH5 will be implemented on BOT basis. The project cost was Rs.454.32 crore, of which the Ennore port's contribution was Rs.78.08 crore.

Mr. Vasan has woken up!!! :cheers::cheers:

Please dont believe Vasan . this is what he is telling for the past 1 year after becoming Shipping Minister.
bec of him three proects are pending....
1.port-maduravoyal project
2.Sriperumbudur dry port
3. ennore-manali expressway.

our TR balu was far far better compared to Vasan. he used to visit the ports , bridges , flyovers often .just 2 days back minister of state of road and highways RPN singh told the chennai port dint pay its part of the money. so the tender was cancelled. now vasan is telling chennai port has accepted to pay the money and there is no problem. that is total cheating of Chennai people.

Please dont believe Vasan . this is what he is telling for the past 1 year after becoming Shipping Minister.
bec of him three proects are pending....
1.port-maduravoyal project
2.Sriperumbudur dry port
3. ennore-manali expressway.

our TR balu was far far better compared to Vasan. he used to visit the ports , bridges , flyovers often .just 2 days back minister of state of road and highways RPN singh told the chennai port dint pay its part of the money. so the tender was cancelled. now vasan is telling chennai port has accepted to pay the money and there is no problem. that is total cheating of Chennai people.

Well people in this thread were criticising T.R.Balu to be most corrupt hardly did anything for the road projects in TN when he was surface transport minister earlier.When coming to port-maduravoyal elevated roadway the same was pending for the past 18 months for want of environmental clearance and the same was cleared recently but now facing resistance from the local people enroute of the proposed construction.Ennore manali expressway is pending for the last 12 years and Mr.Vasan became a minister only an year back.How can he cheat.Frequent visits to ports does not make one efficient.Balu hardly visited other sea ports of the country and never once sea ports in gujarat and West Bengal during his tenure as minister for shipping.:)

Well people in this thread were criticising T.R.Balu to be most corrupt hardly did anything for the road projects in TN when he was surface transport minister earlier.When coming to port-maduravoyal elevated roadway the same was pending for the past 18 months for want of environmental clearance and the same was cleared recently but now facing resistance from the local people enroute of the proposed construction.Ennore manali expressway is pending for the last 12 years and Mr.Vasan became a minister only an year back.How can he cheat.Frequent visits to ports does not make one efficient.Balu hardly visited other sea ports of the country and never once sea ports in gujarat and West Bengal during his tenure as minister for shipping.:)

G.K Vasan is no saint when it comes to corruption.
T.R Balu was also corrupted but he had great resolve to use his central minister post to bring new projects to TN and complete projects that was on drawing board. He used to fight with other states to justify moving the projects to TN.

G.K. Vasan is both corrupt &useless.

T.R Balu corrupt but very usefull for T.N

^^
An year is too short a time to judge the minister's performance.Don't conclude your assessment of a person in such a short time particularly in the present political and economic scenario.

are these ministers and all really doing any work or just pretending to work in front of public.? or trying to cheat us.? these Gvt guys should show some performance but still they are blaming each other. :bash:

^^
You meant to say pretending to work ?Pertaining to work does not indicate what you intend to mean which must be in your mind but the apt word did not come to your rescue.Any way Ministers are ministers which according to the Greek root is to "serve" but in India they are the masters because the masses who vote them are asses.:)

yes my mistakes anyway I have corrected on that post itself...:)

^^
You meant to say pretending to work ?Pertaining to work does not indicate what you intend to mean which must be in your mind but the apt word did not come to your rescue.Any way Ministers are ministers which according to the Greek root is to "serve" but in India they are the masters because the masses who vote them are asses.:)

At least the masses believe in democracy and vote based on freebies, arrack, money etc. Not sure what to call few educated elites who rarely or never vote but complain and compare against the Western standards.:lol:

At least the masses believe in democracy and vote based on freebies, arrack, money etc. Not sure what to call few educated elites who rarely or never vote but complain and compare against the Western standards.:lol:

The middle class educated do vote but when they go to the polling booth to vote they find their names missing from the voters list.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/maersk-line-launches-weekly-serviceshanghai-to-chennai/404801/

Maersk Line announced the launch of its new Far East-Chennai weekly service to be known as the Chennai Express (CHX) service from September 14, 2010.

The port rotation for this new weekly service is: Shanghai - Yantian - Tanjung Pelepas - Port Klang - Chennai - Vishakhapatnam - Tanjung Pelepas – Shanghai

Four vessels of around 2,900 TEU capacities each will be deployed on this service which will begin from Shanghai in September.

On the occasion, said Mr Rizwan Soomar, Managing Director, Maersk Line (India & Sri Lanka), “Given the strong growth in auto and electronics sector, we would like to target the Far East to South East India route (Chennai/Kolkata) through this direct Far East to East India service. This service will also be extremely reliable for consumer durables, personal care products and other transit-sensitive goods.”

The service promises to connect two of the fastest growing regions (India and China) and underlines Maersk Line's commitment to South and East India with this best in class product, directly covering East China, South China and South East Asia. The service will also connect North China, Korea and Japan at Tanjung Pelepas.

Continued Mr Soomar, “There has been a space constraint on this trade and the introduction of this service will ease of the capacity on this trade to a large extent. This is another key addition to our robust portfolio of products for Maersk Line India. We will continue to look for opportunities that can add value to our customers.”

The transit time of the CHX service ex-Shanghai to Chennai will be 13 days and provides amongst the best transit times in the market. The first port call will be from Shanghai on Sep 14, 2010 and is scheduled to call Chennai on Sep 27, 2010.

Key Highlights

* Connecting two fastest growing regions in the world - India and China. Connecting China - Shanghai and Yantian and South East Asia - Tanjung Pelepas and Port Kelang; to Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata.
* Fastest service between Shanghai and Chennai.
* Most reliable service from Asia to Visakhapatnam and Kolkata.
* Extremely reliable for automotive, electronics goods, consumer durables, personal care products and other transit-sensitive goods.
* Over 100 hundred representative offices in Far East Asia and India to take care of all your shipping needs.

SOURCE: http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/18/stories/2010081858220600.htm (http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/18/stories/2010081858220600.htm)

The Coast Guard will establish a hoverport in Chennai, its headquarters for the Eastern region, to house hovercrafts patrolling waters off the city once the State government hands over the required land.

“We plan to station two hovercrafts here,” said Inspector-General A. Rajasekhar, Commander, Coast Guard Region (East). Before permanent stationing, the Coast Guard was in the process of conducting a series of tests on possible landing points and also studying the feasibility of operating hovercraft from Chennai. For this, the Coast Guard has temporarily relocated one of its hovercrafts from Mandapam. The decision to relocate coincided with the Coast Guard's plans to ramp up security along the Chennai coast ahead of the Independence Day.

The Coast Guard now has six hovercrafts and will add 12 over the next two years. “We plan to base two [hovercrafts] in Chennai, two in Puducherry and two in Mandapam,” IG Rajasekhar said.

The Eastern Region Commander said the Coast Guard had written to the State government for land near the Coast Guard headquarters to locate the hoverport. “We are also in touch with the State government on allotment of land,” he said.

Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Area Commander DIG B.S.Yadav said the hovercrafts had been instrumental in apprehending a large number of Sri Lankan fishing vessels. Because the crafts were versatile, they could reach very shallow waters, chasing small boats. Patrol boats would not be able to perform this role, he added.

Eastern Region Chief of Staff Rajamani Sharma said the hovercrafts had proved to be a valuable asset and a force multiplier for the Coast Guard in a short span of time.

A hovercraft moves over water and land on a cushion of air pressure.

It is supported by a cushion of air supplied by the lift fan system mounted on the craft and moves ahead with the thrust produced by propellers fitted on the deck.

:cheers:

SOURCE: http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/18/stories/2010081858220600.htm (http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/18/stories/2010081858220600.htm)

The Coast Guard will establish a hoverport in Chennai, its headquarters for the Eastern region, to house hovercrafts patrolling waters off the city once the State government hands over the required land.

“We plan to station two hovercrafts here,” said Inspector-General A. Rajasekhar, Commander, Coast Guard Region (East). Before permanent stationing, the Coast Guard was in the process of conducting a series of tests on possible landing points and also studying the feasibility of operating hovercraft from Chennai. For this, the Coast Guard has temporarily relocated one of its hovercrafts from Mandapam. The decision to relocate coincided with the Coast Guard's plans to ramp up security along the Chennai coast ahead of the Independence Day.

The Coast Guard now has six hovercrafts and will add 12 over the next two years. “We plan to base two [hovercrafts] in Chennai, two in Puducherry and two in Mandapam,” IG Rajasekhar said.

The Eastern Region Commander said the Coast Guard had written to the State government for land near the Coast Guard headquarters to locate the hoverport. “We are also in touch with the State government on allotment of land,” he said.

Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Area Commander DIG B.S.Yadav said the hovercrafts had been instrumental in apprehending a large number of Sri Lankan fishing vessels. Because the crafts were versatile, they could reach very shallow waters, chasing small boats. Patrol boats would not be able to perform this role, he added.

Eastern Region Chief of Staff Rajamani Sharma said the hovercrafts had proved to be a valuable asset and a force multiplier for the Coast Guard in a short span of time.

A hovercraft moves over water and land on a cushion of air pressure.

It is supported by a cushion of air supplied by the lift fan system mounted on the craft and moves ahead with the thrust produced by propellers fitted on the deck.

:cheers:

I wonder if the public will be allowed to see and take a ride on one of these hovercrafts - sounds really cool.

http://sify.com/finance/chennai-port-gets-rs-100-cr-for-new-hub-news-news-kjbbPwgcgfi.html

Port trust will procure land from Sipcot: Vasan

The Union shipping ministry has sanctioned Rs 100 crore to the Chennai Port Trust to procure around 125 acres of land from the Tamil Nadu government on a long-term lease to set up a dry port and multi-modal logistics hub near Sriperumbudur special economic zone.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of 12th meeting of Maritime States Development Council, shipping minister GK Vasan said that the port trust would procure land from the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (Sipcot).

The state government had already confirmed the land allotment a few days ago. The government will provide the land at Mapeddu on lease for 99 years to the port trust, which plans to develop the hub near the Sriperumbudur SEZ on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. The private operator will build and operate the facility for a 30-year licence period.

The new dry port and logistics hub will come up near Sriperumbudur, a major centre for automobile and mobile phone manufacturing. The dry port will have an inland container depot/offdock container freight station, container yard, rail and road connectivity to national rail and road network, trade centre, warehouses for containerised cargoes such as leather garments, textiles, automotive components and electronic hardware. The hub will also have an onsite customs clearance facility.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zUe7sq7m3h0/TH3TjNoJS-I/AAAAAAAABKQ/JoAFZKUSdXo/s1600/L%26T+Katupalli3.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zUe7sq7m3h0/TH3TSsIePVI/AAAAAAAABKI/Ufeo8ltsTu0/s1600/L%26T+Katupalli2.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zUe7sq7m3h0/TH3SzREtZUI/AAAAAAAABKA/mT059_M1ATA/s1600/L%26T+Katupalli1.jpg

Images from the Katupalli shipyard being constructed by L&T

http://ajaishukla.blogspot.com/

^^ Awesome pics. Seems like its progressing real well.

^^

More on L and T Shipyard ...

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/unexplained-decision-to-sideline-lt/406549/

Near Ennore, an hour’s drive north from Chennai, a stream of dump trucks ferrying boulders from mines in Andhra Pradesh mark the site of Katupalli shipyard, the centrepiece of Larsen & Toubro’s audacious diversification into warship building. Curving into the ocean like giant pincers are the two arms of what will be a 4-km breakwater, keeping out the choppy Bay of Bengal from a lagoon calm enough for shipbuilding. The pincers extend steadily as the dump trucks drive to the end and tip out their loads: some two million tonnes of boulders will finally go into the breakwater.

Elsewhere in L&T’s 1,225-acre facility at Katupalli, hundreds of engineers and workers labour round the clock, three shifts a day, building a giant ship-lift capable of lifting a 14,000 tonne ship — the Indian Navy’s largest destroyers are just 6,800 tonnes — clear out of the water and on to one of several drydocks where vessels can be serviced at leisure. Rows of massive workshops, some 250 metres long, have almost been completed. By June 2011, says L&T — and the engineering giant does not miss many deadlines — Katupalli will be commissioned as India’s biggest defence shipyard.

Given this Rs 3,500-crore statement of intent from L&T, its state-of-the-art facility at Hazira, which builds hull sections for India’s nuclear submarines, and the company’s experience as the prime integrator of INS Arihant, India’s first nuclear-powered, ballistic missile submarine, there is outrage within L&T at being sidelined by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Project 75I, which involves the construction of six conventional submarines for the Indian Navy.

In this ongoing series on submarine production, Business Standard has reported the MoD’s decision to build two Project 75I submarines abroad, in the shipyard of a foreign technology partner, and the remaining four in MoD-owned shipyards, Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai (MDL), and Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Visakhapatnam (HSL).

Wasted investment
L&T’s Chairman and Managing Director, A M Naik, told Business Standard, “We are extremely concerned that our engineering expertise, our facilities already set up at Hazira in line with our commitment to serve the national interest, and our experience in building submarines will be grossly underutilised if such a decision were to be implemented.”

L&T sources stress that the company’s experience of building the INS Arihant — at 5,000 tonnes, thrice as large as the average conventional submarine and significantly more complex — has given the company the expertise, the facilities and the confidence to build conventional submarines faster and more cheaply than any MoD yard. The MoD, allege these sources, is giving the Project 75I submarine contract to its own shipyards to keep them in business.

In 1999, the government had sanctioned a 30-year Submarine Construction Plan, for building 24 conventional submarines in India. Two construction lines were approved. One was to be based on western technology (Mazagon Dock’s ongoing Project 75 to build six Scorpenes) and a second construction line building six submarines with Russian collaboration. After that, 12 indigenously designed submarines were to be built.

L&T sources assert that over the preceding decade, the MoD and the Indian Navy had conveyed repeated assurances that the second submarine construction line would be set up by L&T at Hazira, in partnership with Russia.

According to Naik, “To implement this, a committee was constituted, headed by an MoD joint secretary, and comprising members from the Indian Navy and MoD. After assessing the capabilities of all shipyards, as per our understanding, the committee cleared L&T Hazira in 2001 as the second line for submarine construction.”

FLIP-FLOPS ON HAZIRA

But if the MoD cleared L&T’s Hazira facilities in 2001, another MoD committee in 2008 found Hazira unsuitable for constructing submarines on the grounds that the water draft was too shallow. L&T counters that the nuclear submarine hull sections were built here; and that Hazira builds and ships out petrochemical reactors that are bigger and heavier than a conventional submarine.

The MoD committee also rejected Katupalli, which it visited when construction work on the shipyard had just begun in 2008. By next year, Katupalli will be ready, says L&T, while the MoD admits that Project 75I cannot be sanctioned before 2014-15. But Katupalli has been ruled out, based on the situation in 2008.

The MoD’s secretary for defence production, R K Singh, admits that L&T’s experience in submarine building needs to be tapped by the MoD. “We will find some role for L&T… it has capabilities that are very important for us,” he told Business Standard. “But this will have to be done in a transparent manner, allowing other private sector shipyards to compete as well.”

^^

More on L and T Shipyard ...

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/unexplained-decision-to-sideline-lt/406549/

Near Ennore, an hour’s drive north from Chennai, a stream of dump trucks ferrying boulders from mines in Andhra Pradesh mark the site of Katupalli shipyard, the centrepiece of Larsen & Toubro’s audacious diversification into warship building. Curving into the ocean like giant pincers are the two arms of what will be a 4-km breakwater, keeping out the choppy Bay of Bengal from a lagoon calm enough for shipbuilding. The pincers extend steadily as the dump trucks drive to the end and tip out their loads: some two million tonnes of boulders will finally go into the breakwater.

Elsewhere in L&T’s 1,225-acre facility at Katupalli, hundreds of engineers and workers labour round the clock, three shifts a day, building a giant ship-lift capable of lifting a 14,000 tonne ship — the Indian Navy’s largest destroyers are just 6,800 tonnes — clear out of the water and on to one of several drydocks where vessels can be serviced at leisure. Rows of massive workshops, some 250 metres long, have almost been completed. By June 2011, says L&T — and the engineering giant does not miss many deadlines — Katupalli will be commissioned as India’s biggest defence shipyard.

Given this Rs 3,500-crore statement of intent from L&T, its state-of-the-art facility at Hazira, which builds hull sections for India’s nuclear submarines, and the company’s experience as the prime integrator of INS Arihant, India’s first nuclear-powered, ballistic missile submarine, there is outrage within L&T at being sidelined by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Project 75I, which involves the construction of six conventional submarines for the Indian Navy.

In this ongoing series on submarine production, Business Standard has reported the MoD’s decision to build two Project 75I submarines abroad, in the shipyard of a foreign technology partner, and the remaining four in MoD-owned shipyards, Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai (MDL), and Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Visakhapatnam (HSL).

Wasted investment
L&T’s Chairman and Managing Director, A M Naik, told Business Standard, “We are extremely concerned that our engineering expertise, our facilities already set up at Hazira in line with our commitment to serve the national interest, and our experience in building submarines will be grossly underutilised if such a decision were to be implemented.”

L&T sources stress that the company’s experience of building the INS Arihant — at 5,000 tonnes, thrice as large as the average conventional submarine and significantly more complex — has given the company the expertise, the facilities and the confidence to build conventional submarines faster and more cheaply than any MoD yard. The MoD, allege these sources, is giving the Project 75I submarine contract to its own shipyards to keep them in business.

In 1999, the government had sanctioned a 30-year Submarine Construction Plan, for building 24 conventional submarines in India. Two construction lines were approved. One was to be based on western technology (Mazagon Dock’s ongoing Project 75 to build six Scorpenes) and a second construction line building six submarines with Russian collaboration. After that, 12 indigenously designed submarines were to be built.

L&T sources assert that over the preceding decade, the MoD and the Indian Navy had conveyed repeated assurances that the second submarine construction line would be set up by L&T at Hazira, in partnership with Russia.

According to Naik, “To implement this, a committee was constituted, headed by an MoD joint secretary, and comprising members from the Indian Navy and MoD. After assessing the capabilities of all shipyards, as per our understanding, the committee cleared L&T Hazira in 2001 as the second line for submarine construction.”

FLIP-FLOPS ON HAZIRA

But if the MoD cleared L&T’s Hazira facilities in 2001, another MoD committee in 2008 found Hazira unsuitable for constructing submarines on the grounds that the water draft was too shallow. L&T counters that the nuclear submarine hull sections were built here; and that Hazira builds and ships out petrochemical reactors that are bigger and heavier than a conventional submarine.

The MoD committee also rejected Katupalli, which it visited when construction work on the shipyard had just begun in 2008. By next year, Katupalli will be ready, says L&T, while the MoD admits that Project 75I cannot be sanctioned before 2014-15. But Katupalli has been ruled out, based on the situation in 2008.

The MoD’s secretary for defence production, R K Singh, admits that L&T’s experience in submarine building needs to be tapped by the MoD. “We will find some role for L&T… it has capabilities that are very important for us,” he told Business Standard. “But this will have to be done in a transparent manner, allowing other private sector shipyards to compete as well.”

Yentha L & T eithukuda Ariyilla?

take some extra large suitcases and go to Kerala and see one Mr A.K.A

Contract Kittum.

India esp the central govt controlled depts like Defence, Space, Atomic, Power, Oil &Gas etc need to tap the huge potential of the indian private expertise like L&T etc.

The central govt has a fancy for anything foreign and their past bad exp with PSUs like HAL, Bangalore, CHVF, Avadi etc are quoted for justification.

Walchandnagar industries and L&T have quitely accomplished huge tasks for some secret and sensitive projects for the Govts and the Govt should tap their expertise more.

Don't forget TATAs and Ashok Leyland. They too have contributed immensely to Indian Defence. In the U.S many non critical defence projects are given to universities as projects for students and professors. Such an ecosystem needs to come in India for a good industry institution relationship and growth and retention of India's talent pool. Till then students will continue to move towards places where independence and opportunities exist.

Don't forget TATAs and Ashok Leyland. They too have contributed immensely to Indian Defence. In the U.S many non critical defence projects are given to universities as projects for students and professors. Such an ecosystem needs to come in India for a good industry institution relationship and growth and retention of India's talent pool. Till then students will continue to move towards places where independence and opportunities exist.

Absolutely true.. The partnership between govt organisations(mainly defence) and academy shud be more. Then only we can retain the talents in our country and also more innovations can be expected.. Otherwise we will end up losing talents to Nasa, EADS, Rolls-royce, GE or whatever it is..

http://www.livemint.com/2010/09/13205740/LampT-to-launch-Kattupalli-c.html?atype=tp

India’s biggest engineering and construction firm, Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), will open a container terminal by January 2012 at Kattupalli near Ennore in Tamil Nadu, where it is also building a shipyard.

“L&T has decided to adopt the operation and maintenance (O&M) model for selecting a firm to run the container terminal,” K. Venkatesh, executive vice-president, developmental projects, said by phone from Chennai. “This model is in the best interests of the integrated shipyard-cum-container port complex at Kattupalli.”

L&T will construct the berth and install all necessary equipment at the container terminal; the O&M contractor will run the facility for a fee.

“We are talking to at least four global specialists in handling containers for selecting an O&M operator,” Venkatesh said without naming the firms citing confidentiality clauses. “L&T will select the O&M contractor in the next couple of months and the terminal will be ready for operations by December 2011 or latest by January 2012,” he added.

The container terminal will be able to handle one million standard containers initially, and its capacity can be scaled up to 1.5 million containers as demand grows.

The O&M model will allow L&T to retain 100% equity in the project and yet have a world-class operator running the terminal, said Samir Kanabar, partner, infrastructure practice, at Ernst and Young India Pvt. Ltd. Being a construction company, L&T has the capability to construct the berth, he added.

Kanabar also said that by adopting the O&M model, L&T can hedge the risks involved in operating a container terminal. Besides, it will get guaranteed returns from the operator.

By setting up the facility at Kattupalli, L&T is eyeing potential traffic of 2.5-3 million standard containers a year in the vicinity of Chennai as well as from the proposed Ennore special economic zone adjacent to its site.

Container cargo loaded at the 12 Union government-owned ports in Asia’s third-biggest economy grew at an average of 16% between 2004 and 2009. Volumes at the dozen ports are estimated to reach 21 million standard containers a year by 2014, from about eight million now, according to the shipping ministry.

Competing with L&T’s facility at Kattupalli will be another terminal being developed by a consortium of Spanish port operator Grup TCB SL-Eredene Capital Plc, Obrascon Huarte Lain SA and Lanco Infratech Ltd at the Union government-owned Ennore port. It will have a capacity to handle 1.5 million standard containers a year.

^^
I thought L&T is building only a Shipyard. So Chennai will have three Container ports soon.Competition may drive down Port's earning,but good for Exporters.

No news on Ennore SEZ in recent time.Who is the Promoter of this SEZ?

I read that IT Hardware Exports of Taiwan is around $ 500 Billions per year. TN should initiate steps to capture atleast 10 % of this market by local manufacture at Ennore SEZ.

^^ Ennore will have heavy manufacturing like tires, turbines etc. and not semi-conductors which are an integral part of Sriperumbudur. :cheers: I think Michelin, Toshiba etc. will come up on Ennore SEZ.

^^ Ennore will have heavy manufacturing like tires, turbines etc. and not semi-conductors which are an integral part of Sriperumbudur. :cheers: I think Michelin, Toshiba etc. will come up on Ennore SEZ.

Toshiba, Michelin and Harsha plants are proposed to come up in Thervoykandigai SIPCOT (North Chennai) estate. There is a lot of agitation on this 1200 acre land acquisition. I think Ennore SEZ is different from this effort.

^^ Well, I read that one of the MNCs for which MoUs have already been signed will set up a shop in Ennore SEZ.

^^

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/thervoy-locals-pull-down-sipcot-wall/206904.html

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/article797526.ece

The Chennai Container Terminal Ltd (CCTL), operated by DP World Chennai, has become the first e-terminal in the country.

During his first visit to the Chennai Port Trust, Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan inaugurated the e-terminal and two new twin lift super post Panamax cranes.

The simplified and convenient online services offered by CCTL to its valued customers include Electronic form 13, Electronic SSR, web access, web-based CRM, invoice & account statements on the web, customer relationship management and web/SMS based container tracking system.
Better customer service

Ennarasu Karunesan, Director and CEO, DP World Chennai, said the “technological innovation is one way of providing better customer service. We will create infrastructure and processes that best serve our customers to give them the ultimate service and customer delighted approach.”
Salient features of cranes

These cranes have been procured at a cost of Rs.90 crore have a lifting capacity of 65 Metric Tonnes in twin mode is installed at Bharti Dock and will reduce turn around time of ships. The other salient features of the crane include programmable logic control — fully customisable & high speed of operations with an out reach of 56 meters capable of handling large size vessels (22 rows across). “With the induction of these new cranes, more service windows will be available with improved productivity of more than 35 moves that would benefit the EXIM trade at large with global best service levels,” he said.

MUMBAI: Larsen & Toubro (L&T), which has invested Rs 2,500 crore to manufacture ships for the defence sector in Kattupalli in Tamil Nadu, faces the prospect of loss on its investments in the absence of government orders, says a senior executive. The government is placing the order for manufacturing warships to public sector firms and importing submarines from foreign countries.

"If the government does not buy products of our shipyard, we will have to look at options for capacity utilisation of our new facility and also think on deploying manpower at other operations," said senior executive vice-president (heavy engineering) MV Kotwal.

The Kattupalli facility is scheduled to start commercial operations by December this year. The facility, which will have a total investment of Rs 3,000 crore, has 3,500 employees.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/engineering/With-no-govt-deals-LTs-defence-unit-may-face-loss/articleshow/6681021.cms

Last week, Maersk Line's new weekly service — Chennai Express — connecting Chennai with Shanghai, was launched from DP World's Chennai terminal.

On its first voyage, the vessel E R Canberra, berthed at the Chennai Container Terminal on September 27.

This is not all. Chennai is one of three ports in the Indian subcontinent — the other two being Karachi and Colombo — which are being covered by 18 new services.

Of these, 13 are direct services and five are gateway services, launched in the Asia Pacific region by Kuehne and Nagel, the Switzerland-based global logistics service provider.

However, the new services are being operated by Kuehne & Nagel's in-house NVOCC (non-vessel owning cargo carrier), Blue Anchor Line.

The new services, offering both weekly and twice-weekly sailings, connect Chennai with key ports in Asia and Europe, Canada and West Asia. Chennai, it might be noted, has also been included in amended port rotations for Malaysia's MISC Berhad's East Asia-India-Middle East Halal Express services — the HE2 service — in a bid to step up its coverage of the Far East–India market. The carrier will be adding Chennai as a direct call. In fact Chennai and Shanghai are being added to HE2 at the expense of Jebel Ali, Dammam and Xiamen, it is learnt.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/2010/10/04/stories/2010100450160500.htm

Last week, Maersk Line's new weekly service — Chennai Express — connecting Chennai with Shanghai, was launched from DP World's Chennai terminal.

On its first voyage, the vessel E R Canberra, berthed at the Chennai Container Terminal on September 27.

This is not all. Chennai is one of three ports in the Indian subcontinent — the other two being Karachi and Colombo — which are being covered by 18 new services.

Of these, 13 are direct services and five are gateway services, launched in the Asia Pacific region by Kuehne and Nagel, the Switzerland-based global logistics service provider.

However, the new services are being operated by Kuehne & Nagel's in-house NVOCC (non-vessel owning cargo carrier), Blue Anchor Line.

The new services, offering both weekly and twice-weekly sailings, connect Chennai with key ports in Asia and Europe, Canada and West Asia. Chennai, it might be noted, has also been included in amended port rotations for Malaysia's MISC Berhad's East Asia-India-Middle East Halal Express services — the HE2 service — in a bid to step up its coverage of the Far East–India market. The carrier will be adding Chennai as a direct call. In fact Chennai and Shanghai are being added to HE2 at the expense of Jebel Ali, Dammam and Xiamen, it is learnt.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/2010/10/04/stories/2010100450160500.htm


^^^^
Thanks for bringing in the news....Great things are happening in sea for Chennai.....TN govt should broaden its vision on these areas too....like TNWTC (TN Water Trans Corp) ;)

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/mega-container-terminal-for-chennai-port-approved_100443423.html

The government Tuesday approved development of a mega container terminal worth Rs.3,686 crore at Chennai port to boost exports and imports in the region and cut down on freight and shipping costs.
The decision to develop the container terminal was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said an official statement.

The terminal will be developed on a “Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis” under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode with a concession period of 30 years, said the statement.

Quoting Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan, the statement said the private parties given the contract to develop the container terminal will invest Rs.3,125 crore, while the Chennai Port will invest Rs.561 crore.

The first phase of the project will be completed by 2013 and the full project will be completed by 2017.

After development of the container terminal, Chennai Port will compete with international ports and reduce the need for transshipment from Singapore and Colombo, said the statement, adding that the terminal can handle ultra large container vessels and deep draft vessels.

There has been sharp growth in container volume in Chennai Port in recent years. At present there are two container terminals with a capacity of 2 million TEUs (twenty equivalent unit, an unit to measure container volume).

The mega container terminal will have the capacity to handle 4 million TEUs per annum.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/10/15/stories/2010101551491800.htm

Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) has secured a contract worth Rs 171 crore from Ennore port, according to a press release. DCI was the lowest bidder among national and international dredging companies, added the release.

Eight national and international companies participated in the bid.

Work involved

The project has to be completed in 18 months.

The work comprises deepening in front of berths and turning basin and deepening of the entrance channel.

The work also includes 9.5 million cubic meters of dredging and pumping the dredged material on shore for land reclamation and beach nourishment.

equipment

DCI possesses necessary equipment and is planning to deploy a high-powered cutter suction dredger and trailer suction hopper dredger for the work, which is likely to begin in December.

DCI is executing maintenance and capital dredging work at Haldia, Marmugao, New Mangalore port, Visakhapatnam and at the Southern Naval Command, Kochi.

Dredging Corporation has 10 trailer suction hopper dredgers and three cutter suction dredgers and is augmenting its fleet.

Recently, orders have been placed on IHC, Holland, for two new modern dredgers.

^^dredge baby dredge :)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article836462.ece

A parking yard to accommodate as many as 350 container trucks is being developed by the Chennai Port Trust near Gate No.1 of the port in Kasimedu. The facility is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion on Suryanarayana Road, north Chennai.

The yard is coming up on a vacant land measuring 5.5 acres inside the port at a cost of Rs.2 crore. According to a senior official of the Chennai Port Trust, the work is under way and the facility is expected to be completed by December.

In the absence of adequate parking space inside the port, container-laden trucks line up on Suryanarayana Road, an important link road to the Ennore Expressway.

On the need for a parking yard, the official said there had been several complaints from the traffic police and Regional Transport Office (North West) in Tondiarpet, about traffic congestion in the area. The parking of the container trucks had also been one of the reasons for several accidents on Suryanarayana Road.

He said a four-lane gateway for speedy completion of the security clearances for the trucks would be established adjacent to the parking yard. The gateway, which would use radio frequency identification tag-enabled (RFID) technology for the clearances, would cost another Rs.2 crore.

A senior official at the RTO (North West) said that with hundreds of container trucks parked on Surayanarayana Road, the space available for other road users is reduced. A study conducted by the RTO this year found that the parking of the container trucks was one of the causes for several accidents on the road. Inadequate illumination on the road, which is maintained by the Highways department, presence of slums in the area, and the lack of speed-breakers were other factors that resulted in the accidents.

The RTO official said Chennai Port Trust was allotted 11.26 acres of vacant land by Tiruvottiyur Municipality in 2007 for creating a parking yard for container trucks.

The official of the Chennai Port Trust said that though the Municipality had offered land for such a facility, it did not renew the lease. Hence, the port trust decided to develop its own parking yard. [/FONT]

Nissan Motor India will export nearly 4,800 Micras in its second consignment from Ennore port to various European countries, including Italy and Spain.

It started loading the cars this morning and is likely to finish it by tomorrow, a company official supervising the loading operations at Ennore port said.

While the general cargo-cum-car terminal is not yet ready in the port, Nissan is using the liquid cargo terminal to load the cars on to Pearl Ace.

Pearl Ace is a pure car carrier vessel from Nissan Motor Car Carrier, a shipping company owned by Nissan, Mitsui O.S.K Lines and Hoegh.

Due to the construction going on in the port, the cars are washed before they are driven on to the ship.

In April, Nissan tested the first trial consignment of six cars to Barcelona from its Oragadam plant through Ennore port. The first major shipment of over 3,800 cars was exported to Europe early this month. The Japanese auto major expects to export over 1.10 lakh units in the 2010-11 fiscal, the company said recently.

In 2008, Nissan signed an agreement with Ennore Port Ltd to use the port for export. The Ennore Port has provided a special berthing place of 1.40 lakh sq.m for parking vehicles and will allow Nissan Motor India to use newly developed marine facilities.

MOL Auto Logistics (India) Pvt Ltd, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K Lines, handles the inland logistics transportation for the exports consignment from Oragadam plant to the port. Ennore Automotive Logistics Ltd, a joint venture company of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and SICAL Logistics Ltd handles the port compound management and ship loading operation in the Port.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/10/14/stories/2010101453180200.htm

Tonnage export volume from Ennore port will increase tremendously in the next few years.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article847348.ece

With the maiden call of Halal Express Loop 2 (HE2)'s m.v. Stadt Sevilla at Chennai Port on Sunday, Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC) has launched its weekly service between Shanghai and Chennai.

This is MISC's second service within six months and East India Service was launched on March 27.

According to DP World Chennai officials, Stadt Sevilla had brought in 194 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of import containers and will be carrying 210 TEUs export containers. The port rotation for this new weekly service is: Shanghai–Pusan–Qingdao–Singapore–Port Kelang–Nhava Sheva–Chennai–Singapore–Shanghai.

Four vessels of around 2526 to 2824 TEU capacities each will be deployed on this weekly service, with the vessel calling Chennai on every Sunday afternoon.

HE2 provides nine-day transit to Shanghai and is the fastest from Chennai to Shanghai. This will be a value addition to the EXIM trade in South India.

Ennarasu Karunesan, Director and CEO, DP World Chennai, welcomed the Master of the Vessel and said that the new service would benefit the South Indian trade at large.

On September 27, Maersk Line's Chennai Express (CHX) commenced its weekly service between Shanghai and Chennai (on Mondays). Four vessels of around 2,900 TEU capacities each have been deployed on this service.

As per the schedule, the vessel will depart from Shanghai port and in the process will visit the ports of Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Klang, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Tanjung Pelepas and reach Shanghai. The transit time of the CHX service (ex-Shanghai) to Chennai will be 13 days.

Port officials said that the new service directly covered East China, South China and South East Asia and it will also connect North China, Korea and Japan at Tanjung Pelepas.

“It is the most reliable service from Asia to Visakhapatnam and Kolkata. It will be extremely helpful for automotive, electronics goods, consumer durables, personal care products and other transit-sensitive goods. Given the strong growth in auto and electronics sector, Maersk Line would target the Far East to South East India route (Chennai/Kolkatta) through this direct Far East to East India service,” they said.

The Ennore Port will approach the Ministry of Shipping by the end of this month for approval of a plan to raise funds for business expansion through an IPO, a top government official said.

"Ennore Port may go for an IPO... they were asked to raise finances through this route, they would approach us... maybe in a month's time," a Shipping Ministry official said.

However, the percentage of disinvestment by the government and the amount of fresh equity to be raised through the IPO is yet to be decided.

The decision was taken at an Ennore Port board meeting last month.

The Centre holds a stake of about 68 per cent in the Ennore Port and the remaining 32 per cent is held by the Chennai Port Trust .

The Department of Disinvestment (DoD) had asked the Shipping Ministry to opt for an initial public offer rather than raise funds through private placement and the ministry informed the Ennore Port regarding the same.

The Ennore Port is the only corporatised major port and is registered as a company. The port has been able to attract an investment of Rs 2,600 crore by private entrepreneurs on various terminals and harbour craft.

Construction of a car export terminal at the Ennore Port is in progress, which Japanese car-maker Nissan Motors will use to export 1,80,000 cars per year once fully executed, though exports are expected to commence this month.

Construction of the terminal will cost Rs 110 crore and the facilities will include a berth, a 12-metre draft after dredging of the basin and a parking yard of 1,75,000 square metres.

A coal terminal and iron ore terminal are also being developed at a total investment of Rs 880 crore.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/ipos/fpos/rights-issues/Ennore-Port-to-approach-Shipping-Ministry-for-IPO-approval/articleshow/6664601.cms

With the view to sensitising the Jammu and Kashmir media on “real development” happening across the country, particularly in Southern India, Ministry of Home Affairs has arranged a three-day tour for a group of 18 journalists to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

As part of their tour in the State, the journalists visited Ennore Port on Tuesday to see the successful development of the port infrastructure sector through public private partnership (PPP) model. Chairman and managing director of the only ‘Corporate Major Port’, in the country, S Velumani, welcomed the journalists to the port premises.

The team enquired about the PPP model pursued by Ennore Port for developing a marine liquid terminal, a coal import terminal, an iron ore export terminal and a world-class container terminal. After the visit, the journalists had a detailed interaction with chairman Velumani on all other infrastructure developments taking place at the port.

The media team expressed their happiness on seeing the fast development of the port and its ability to create world-class port infrastructure through public-private partnership for efficient shipping. They appreciated the success of the port in maintaining cleanliness of the marine environment in the port and also the community welfare activities undertaken by EPL as part of its corporate social responsibility in the neighbouring areas.

They also expressed their desire that Ennore Port should extend assistance for the desiltation and deepening of Dal Lake in Srinagar, which has become silted and polluted.

The team was accompanied by Dr Sanjay Roy, director in the Ministry of Home Affairs, M Therasnathan, Assistant Director, PIB, Chennai and GH Abbas, Assistant Director, PIB, Srinagar, besides Prabhakar Tripathi, Commandant, PRO, CRPF, Srinagar.

Src: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/jk-scribes-on-%E2%80%98exposure-trip%E2%80%99-to-tn-pondy/218698.html

http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/13/stories/2010111353910400.htm

The Madras High Court on Friday directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Project Director, Port Connectivity, to file a status report with regard to the Chennai Port-Ennore Port Connectivity Road and the four-laning of the Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti Road.

Passing the order on a public interest litigation petition, a Division Bench comprising Justices P. Jyothimani and T.S. Sivagnanam posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks. The Additional Advocate-General, P. Wilson, appeared for National Highways.

In the petition, I. Rathinavel and five others, all advocates of Manali New Town in Ponneri Taluk, said the connectivity road was launched by the NHAI for connecting the two ports and the ports with NH-5 at Panchetti junction.

The project included laying of a service road, prevention of sea erosion towards the Ennore Expressway and strengthening of the Inner Ring Road and Manali Oil Refinery Road. Work was started during October 2006 and scheduled to be completed by September 2007. It had not been completed. No work had been done for the past two years.

Without completing the road project, the Customs and the Tamil Nadu government had given permission to start warehouses, container yards and freight stations, between the Ernavoor lift-gate and Melur village on the Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri High Road. Several container trucks and trailers used the existing road, which was only 20 feet wide. Because of the heavy traffic, the existing road was badly damaged and not motorable. There were no streetlights. Fatal accidents had increased in the past five years.

The local people were unable to access essential services such as ambulance and milk supply.The petitioners prayed the court for a direction to the authorities to complete the connectivity road project within the stipulated period as fixed by the court and to direct the authorities to suspend trailer and truck operations on the existing road till the project was completed.

Several drivers of container-laden trucks in north Chennai on Sunday parked their vehicles on the sides of roads leading to Chennai Port, protesting against the poor maintenance of Ennore-Manali Road and Ponneri-Panchetty Road.

The protest is said to have been triggered by the assault on a truck driver by members of the public in Manali on Saturday after he tried to overtake a lorry.

The agitating drivers said improper maintenance of roads often led to quarrels between them and the general public many times and that the authorities should immediately take steps to address their grievances.

The Confederation of Surface Transport in Tamil Nadu has already announced an indefinite strike by trailers, trucks and lorries from November 22, condemning the poor maintenance of Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri Road and Madhavaram-Manali Road.

"Authorities don't give adequate importance to road maintenance and that makes driving a difficult task. We have been demanding for several years to ensure proper roads here. No effective steps were taken and the roads have turned from bad to worse,'' said confederation president R Sugumar.

Many drivers complained that the number of vehicles breaking down had increased as the roads were not in a motorable condition, particularly after the rains.

Port Trust chairman Atulya Misra said steps were taken to do patch-up works on Ennore Road. The National Highways Authority of India had already called for tenders for the road works, he added.

Stating that activities in the Port were not affected much by the strike since it was a Sunday, Misra said he would hold talks with the representatives of truck owners and drivers on Monday.


Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Truckers-protest-against-bad-roads-in-N-Chennai/articleshow/6926825.cms

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/notice-centre-new-port-road-716

Chennai, Nov. 12: The Madras high court issued notices to the Union government and eight others on a public interest litigation to complete the road project between Chennai Port and Ennore Port and the four-lane Thiruvottriyur-Ponneri-Panchetti Road within the period fixed by the court.
A division bench comprising Justices P. Jyothimani and T.S. Sivagnanam directed additional advocate general P. Wilson, who took notice for the National Highways Authority of India and project director of the port connectivity, to file a status report of the project. The bench posted further hearing of the PIL filed by advocates I. Rathinavel and five others to two weeks from Friday.
According to petitioners, 25,000 families reside in Manali New Town, CMDA Quarters and other villages and the Thiruvottriyur-Ponneri High Road is the only way to reach their homes.

...

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/fresh-shot-port-connectivity-854

Chennai, Nov. 16: Residents of north Chennai are bearing the brunt of inordinate delay in executing the `600 crore Chennai Ennore port connectivity project on time due to the reluctance of the Chennai port trust to pay its share.
According to NHAI sources, the project got delayed because of the port trust taking a long time to pay its equity share.
“Now, we have invited fresh tenders for the project at an estimated cost of `267 crore. The bids will be opened on November 25,” said a senior NHAI official.
The official said the tenders have been floated for widening of the 9-km stretch of the Thiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti (TPP) road to a four-lane highway with service roads on both sides at an estimated cost of `101.58 crore. Besides, the improvement and strengthening of Manali oil refinery road and northern segment of Inner Ring Road, the project also envisages the widening of the 7-km stretch of Ennore expressway into a four-lane road with service roads on both sides. The components of the project include construction of three groynes and repair of the existing groynes along Ennore expressway, the official said.
The NHAI official said after the awarding of the contract, the work will be completed in two years. “We hope to complete the land acquisition before the commencement of the work by the new contractor,” the official said.

...

Award for chennai container terminal...!!
http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/Lloyd_award_for_Chennai_container_terminal/176355.html

Ennore chennai ports to be connected to NH, Ennore expresss road,manali refinery road, madhavaram inner ring road, Thiruvottriyur- ponneri-panjeti to be 4 laned with international standard.

Tenders floated , 8 companies shortlisted based on technical aspects. Work would be started on January.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9862/45326535.jpg (http://img221.imageshack.us/i/45326535.jpg/)

In the next few days, Rs.24 crore will be released by the Chennai Port Trust and Ennore Port as its contribution towards Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP), said Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan on Friday.

Addressing a dinner meeting hosted by the CII Institute of Logistics (CII-IL), he said that Chennai Port Trust would contribute of Rs.19 crore and Ennore Port Rs.5 crore. So far, these ports have released Rs.48 crore and Rs.10.75 crore.

Talking to The Hindu, he said that priority was being accorded for upgrading all major ports in the country to attain global standards. Modification of Chennai Port and early completion of major projects such as EMRIP, Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor and Mega Terminal were planned.

“We are taking steps to see that the ferry service between Tuticorin and Colombo to start in three months' time. The Cabinet gave its nod recently and the next step is to have the agreement signed by the Indian and Sri Lankan governments. The operator will be selected through an open tender system. The Public Private Partnership have turned out to be a huge success and we will follow the same mode to operate the ferry services,” he said.

Mr. Vasan later interacted with the CII-IL members to understand the issues faced by the shipping and Logistics sector. He will also hold similar meetings in Mumbai and Kolkata soon.

B. Sridhar, vice-chairman, CII-IL, said that a major investor meet in association with Shipping Ministry would be held in Chennai during February. Besides, a delegation would visit European ports to study the new developments.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article929936.ece

http://epaper.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/12/04/20101204c_014101004.jpg

http://epaper.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/12/06/20101206a_003101007.jpg

^^ OMG :ohno: Hope they address this sea erosion problem ASAP.

^^ OMG :ohno: Hope they address this sea erosion problem ASAP.

This problem exists for decade. Govt has did many things to prevent errosion but still sea trying to eat the road and near by area. The biggest problem will be in the stretch of 500 mtrs after tollgate.

The problem of Sea Erosion along Ennore Coast has been acute for the past 30 years. The experts feel that the Construction of Barrier Walls for the Ports (both Madras and Ennore) are one of the main reasons, which led to sea erosion at Ennore and sand build up at Marina and Adyar Estuary.

IIT and other experts have been suggesting how to protect the coast from further erosion. Gorgoyeles (May be spelt wrongly) , Geo Tubes, rocks, RCC Walls are some of the suggestions.(vary with the coast characteristics).

I still remember visiting those factories which were in between the coastal road and the sea in Ennore area. Now all these structures are under water. I do not know whether if any effort was taken to remove those steel and concrete: otherwise, they may pose danger to the fishermen and the ships.

This has been a very neglected situation for decades like Kannan has mentioned. We need to tie up all the research folks and come with some concrete solution. Just like DMRC developed expertise and is selling ideas, coastal protection is a big deal (Even as we speak, its a big topic in Norfolk, Virginia, US). They want to develop such technologies and market around the world. Why can't we do the same. There are tons of coastal towns, cities and villages that might benefit from such technologies. Both commerical sense and social at the same time.

Ennore expressway damaged due to sea erosion

Lol @ "expressway"..

We need to tie up all the research folks and come with some concrete solution.

Pun intended? ;)

^00 crore allocated to improve connectivity between ports

:lol:

Some good humour on this page.. :)

http://www.portstrategy.com/news101/asia/third-chennai-box-terminal-approved

India's Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure has given the green light for a project to build a large new container terminal in the port of Chennai. This will require investment of $800m and will be offered as a build-operate-transfer project, as part of a 30-year concession. Construction will take seven years to complete and the container terminal will have a capacity of 4m teu.

Why not build a elevated expressway on this stretch?? Even a concrete road can help.

http://www.portworld.com/news/i98804/Port_of_Chennai_struggles_with_congestion

Maersk Line has said it is struggling to connect exports via terminals in India’s Port of Chennai.

The reasoning behind this delay has been put down to severe port congestion and a sudden shortage of container trucks that is crippling outbound cargo arrivals.

“The Chennai Port has been facing a heavy import inventory situation on the terminal area for the last two weeks. In an effort to clear the backlog, trucks have been diverted for evacuating import units with the result that shippers are unable to organise enough trucks to move their export cargoes into the terminal,” Maersk said.

The Danish carrier is the largest liner operator to and from India, and according to reports it is "working closely with all stakeholders to help improve the situation, the turmoil has adversely impacted port users and the trade in general."

Chennai is India’s second-largest container gateway after the Port of Nhava Sheva.

In the first eight months of the 2010 fiscal year-ending November 30 Chennai handled over a million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), compared with 779,000 a year earlier. This represents a 30% increase.

The southeastern hub suspended export cargo movements last week for four days to facilitate speedy evacuation of a large import backlog built up during a mid-November truckers’ strike.

The strike lasted three days, causing major congestion at two terminals.

The port reopened export gates on Monday, and according to recent updates from port sources, the evacuation, which was initially hampered by heavy rains and congested roads, is expected to be completed by today.

http://epaper.dinakaran.com/pdf/2010/12/11/20101211a_00510100101.jpg

* Ceremony for handing over Chennai and Ennore ports' contribution towards Ennore-Chennai expressway to NHAI by Shipping minister

The Union Shipping Minister, Mr G.K. Vasan's promise today that work on the arterial Ennore-Manali road will commence by January and be completed in two years should bring cheer to thousands of container trailer operators who have been battling for this project for many years.

The operators, however, want the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to first repair the damaged road (due to the recent rain) so that vehicles could ply smoothly to and from the Chennai port, said Mr A. Raja, Secretary of the Trailer Operators Association. “Everyday there is an accident due to the damaged road. It is a nightmare to drive on such a bad road,” he told Business Line.

Announced by the Tamil Nadu Government in 1998, the cost of the Chennai-Ennore Port Road connectivity project, earlier called Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project, has escalated by four times to Rs 600 crore. The project is to enable free flow of truck traffic from and to the Chennai port in North Chennai. The port handles over 5,000 containers a day and trucks need to take this Ennore-Manali road for entry and exit to the port. The project is still in the ‘tendering' stage — previous tenders were cancelled for various reasons.

Funding plans

Mr Vasan, at a press conference, said the Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) has so far released Rs 48 crore as part of its contribution to the special purpose vehicle, while the Ennore Port Ltd (EPL) has contributed Rs 8.75 crore. The ChPT today released another Rs 19 crore and the EPL another Rs 5 crore for the project. The ChPT's total contribution will be Rs 139.80 crore and that of EPL will be Rs 34.20 crore and the two ports will soon release more funds to fast track the project implementation, he said.

“This [the project] is a serious issue. There should be no reason for the delay. It is a very difficult area [north Chennai]. Work should start immediately and should be completed on time,” he told the officials of NHAI present in the meeting.

Mr S. Jaswanthkumar, Chief General Manager, NHAI, said 13 companies have shown interest in the project. The financial bids will be opened shortly and work order will be issued by January. In the last two years, the NHAI had spent Rs 22 crore to maintain the Ennore-Manali road but the recent rains damaged the roads badly. The authority will spend another Rs 1.2 crore to repair the roads before December, he said.

Parking yard

Mr Vasan also announced that the ChPT would take 11.26 acres from the Tiruvottiyur Municipality on lease for 30 years to enable trailers with export cargo be parked in the area. An investment of Rs 139 crore will be paid as rent (at the rate of Rs 11 lakh per month) to the Municipality, he said.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/12/12/stories/2010121252180300.htm

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article946288.ece

Officials of ports hand over cheques to National Highways Authority of India
Work order for the Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP) will be issued by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) before the end of next month, said Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan here on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after officials of the Chennai Port Trust and Ennore Port Limited handed over cheques for Rs.19 crore and Rs.5 crore for EMRIP to NHAI officials, Mr. Vasan said the Chennai Port Trust had contributed Rs.48 crore already and Ennore Port, Rs.8 crore.

There were 13 participants in the bidding for the EMRIP work, of which eight qualified.

Technical evaluation of the eight bidders is on and the project is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2013. The actual contribution for the project by the Chennai Port Trust is Rs.238 crore. So far, the Chennai Port Trust had given Rs.67 crore. As for Ennore Port, its contribution was Rs.34.2 crore and so far it had given Rs.13 crore.

On the Maduravoyal Expressway, Mr. Vasan said the total cost of the project was Rs.1,655 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had given its nod for the project. Originally, the cost for land acquisition, relief and rehabilitation was estimated to be Rs.310 crore but now it had escalated to Rs.470 crore.

...

There was a time not long ago when you could not run your palm on a East-facing wall of any building on Rajaji Salai without getting a coat of coal dust on the fingers—thanks to the tonnes of power plant fuel arriving into the Chennai port.

That things have changed and the port has turned from “dusty” to “clean” (at least, relatively) has been the pitch of Chennai Port Trust in seeking business.

The pitch seems to be working. Last week, the port handled 17,000 tonnes of maize. Louis Dreyfus Commodities India Pvt, which exported the agri cargo to Vietnam, plans to do more –100,000 tonnes in the coming months.

Following in the Dutch company's footsteps is the US multinational, Cargill, which will soon export agri commodities through the now-clean Chennai port. The cargo – maize.

Agri produce cargo is not new to Chennai port. The port handles sugar regularly, and also maize. Between November 2009 and April 2010, the port handled 3,00,000 tonnes of maize – but the difference was that the commodity came in containers. Now, commodity is being sent over in the substantially cheaper bulk form.

While cleanness was one reason for the attraction, exporting maize from Chennai turned out to be cheaper than from Mangalore by $5-7 a tonne to countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, said Mr Arul Murugan, General manager of Hari and company, a Tuticorin-based stevedoring firm and the handling agency for the maize consignment. Louis Dreyfus Commodities processes agricultural products and merchandising of a range of commodities. It is present in eleven global product lines, including proteins (oilseeds, grains, rice, freight, finance) and tropical (juice, cotton, coffee and sugar), according to information available in the company's Web site. Maize grown in areas such as Hospet and Devanagiri of Karnataka used to be transported by rail wagons to Mangalore at the rate of Rs 300 to Rs 400 a tonne. This is the same to Chennai as well. However, the ship freight rate from Chennai to Vietnam was lesser at $28 per tonne as against $33-35 a tonne from Mangalore, said Mr Murugan.



SOURCE (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/12/18/stories/2010121851951200.htm)

repeat

Chennai: The Chennai Port Trust will soon open a new gate near gate zero to facilitate easy movement of trailers, said Ishwar Achanta, a trustee on the board of the port trust, on Wednesday during a consultative committee of the city chambers of commerce.
The port will also acquire a 11-acre plot from the Tiruvottiyur municipality to set up a parking yard for container trailers, he said. The move came after truckers went on a strike last week after the closure of gates 2 and 2A due to an accident, restricting all trailer movement to gate- ‘zero’.
Meanwhile, the bottleneck crisis has traders and terminal operators worried. With bad roads leading out of the only gate that is used and the Ennore-Manali project still a distant dream, Chennai port is choked, they said. “How will one gate be enough to move 5,000 containers everyday?” said Ennarasu Karunesan, director, Chennai Container Terminal. “We have an award-winning container terminal but the condition of the roads outside the port gates is pathetic.”
The problem has led to shipping agencies levying a congestion surcharge on the traders due to slow clearance, with 65$ for Singapore and 45$ for Colombo. Already, 20-25 % of the trade has shifted to the Ennore and Tuticorin ports, added Karunesan.
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=TOICH&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI

I am told that the entire Port connectivity / Transport / Cargo Handling is in the grip of a single family and even the central minister is forced to keep away.

I am told that the entire Port connectivity / Transport / Cargo Handling is in the grip of a single family and even the central minister is forced to keep away.

Its the same even in US,Italy.. where ports are controlled by mafia organizations.

Its the same even in US,Italy.. where ports are controlled by mafia organizations.

That explains why it should remain the same way in India. Nice justification. Thanks:cheers:

I am told that the entire Port connectivity / Transport / Cargo Handling is in the grip of a single family and even the central minister is forced to keep away.

who do you blame for this? i will blame the employees and their unions who resist any feeble move to privatize them. as long as we have such communists controlling such decision making process, we would have people taking advantage of it.

if what you is true, i am sure central minister is happy with this simple situation. he just needs to get his cut from this single family instead of having to devise some complex policies.

Its the same even in US,Italy.. where ports are controlled by mafia organizations.

are you saying usa has ports that are government owned and but other wise controlled by mafia?

are you saying usa has ports that are government owned and but other wise controlled by mafia?

New york, New orleans and Tampa ports to some extent are controlled by mobs.

That explains why it should remain the same way in India. Nice justification. Thanks:cheers:
Often your interpretations have exhibited one helluva vibrant and a wildly imaginative brain to humor others.
Keep it up!:)

Ennore Port Ltd, country’s first corporate port owned by the Union government, is planning to raise around Rs 400 crore through a private placement of shares to part-finance expansions. The port administration has said it may also look at initial public offering (IPO). The proposed fund raising is to create infrastructure, which in turn would bring in Rs 6,500 crore, according to the Union Shipping Minister.

Speaking to Business Standard at the sidelines of memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony, between EPL and Bay of Bengal Gateway is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) company formed to set up a Rs 1,407 crore container terminal at Ennore port, G K Vasan, Union Minister for Shipping said that “we have to look at all the options to raise the money.”

Earlier, the Minister said, 14 projects worth Rs 6,466 crore have lined up in the port. These projects include three dredging projects, seven terminal projects and four connectivity rail and road projects.
“Though major portion of the investment will come from the private players, we have to invest in creating infrastructure like dredging and connectivities.” Of the three dredging projects one project worth Rs 92 crore is already completed and two more projects worth Rs 640 crore have lined up. The port is also creating infrastructure to handle cars for the export markets, with an investment of around Rs 110 crore.

“To support our investments we will consider all the options for fund raising,” said Vasan, when asked whether EPL has any plans to raise money through private placements or for an IPO.

S Velumani, chairman and managing Director, EPL said, “we are planning to raise around Rs 300-400 crore and we have recommended for private placement.

If the market is good, we might consider IPO also. Government has to take the final call,” he said.

The port is located 30 km from Chennai port and was set up under the Companies Act, keeping it outside the scope of the Tariff Authority for Major Ports, the tariff regulator for 11 of the 12 ports owned by the government.

The Ennore port, set up primarily to handle cargoes such as iron ore and coal, when it started operations in nine years ago. “By 2013-14 the port should handle 75 million tonnes and by 2020-21 to 90 million tonnes from the current 15 million tonnes,” said Vasan.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ennore-port-plans-to-raise-rs-400-crore/420974/

New york, New orleans and Tampa ports to some extent are controlled by mobs.

Namba Oorula State-a controled by one mob.

May be we are far ahead of US in that.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2011/01/11/stories/2011011152531600.htm

Thanks to bad roads and the absence of sufficient exit routes that hamper movement of trucks, Chennai port is in a mess.

The port is overflowing with containers, and, as an official of a leading Custom House Agency said, the situation is very grim.

This statistics give an idea of how grim the situation is. The DP World Chennai's yard can hold 8,000 TEUs, but as of this morning, there were 13,000 TEUs in the terminal, comprising 6,275 imported containers and 1,455 containers waiting for the ships. “There is hardly any space for moving the containers within the terminal, leave alone moving them out of the port,” an official said.

If this situation continues longer, some automobile companies in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka could face production hits. In fact, one car manufacturer had brought in 15 technicians from abroad for a “special project”. These people have been staying idle for the last five days because the imported components for the ‘project' are stuck in the port.

Boxes piling up

Meanwhile, import boxes keep piling up with each passing day. Some of the shipping lines have even stopped accepting export cargo in the last three-four days due to bad situation. This means an exporter needs to wait for things to normalise or move to another port. In fact, DP World Chennai, which operates the berths in the port, has appealed to the trade to ‘rationalise' their imports and exports, in view of the congestion.

Over stays

Due to congestion, a container ship that used to stay at the terminal for two days now stays for over four days. The total stay – right from the time of a ship's arrival at Chennai port's anchorage to the time it departs from the terminal – has increased to nearly six days from the earlier three, he said.

A ship with a capacity of around 2,000 boxes pays a daily berth hire charge of around Rs 1 lakh, and another Rs 1 lakh as charter hire. “We are more than double the cost due to delay,” he said. The problem arose mainly due to external factors such as not having enough entry/exit gates, and bad roads — not due to “operational issues”, an official of the port said.

“Trucks are unable to come on time and pick up the boxes,” said an official.

Last week, a team of officials comprising senior bureaucrats of the State Government inspected vulnerable points in north Chennai and made an on the spot assessment of the issues that required immediate attention.

The inspection was necessitated after the intervention of the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, who has sought a detailed report on how to get rid of the perennial congestion issue before the review meeting on January 12.

Meanwhile, industry sources said gate 2A was opened last night to allow movement of direct delivery to clients.

However, those boxes that need to be moved to the container freight station continue to use the Zero gate.

----------------------------------------------

:bash: Critical infrastrucutre. Needs quick long term solution. Access to Ports should not become a bottleneck to growth.

Will the congestion at port reduce if the lorries are allowed to enter the city during day time and peak hours(I hope there are time restrictions currently to enter the city). But this will increase the normal traffic..

Another suggestion would be to use the rail facility to move the container to the container yards nearby but this would create customs confusion.. Grrr, need a long term, if not a permanent solution to this problem

^^ This will take a long time to get sorted out. The 6 laned port connectivity + the elevated expressway...we can easily see 5+ years here. Unlike other infrastructure, ports can't be built so quickly. So, Chennai will retain the port advantage for that period of time...at least to some extent! :D :D

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Port-activity-and-elevated-roads-wont-be-affected-/articleshow/7256496.cms

CHENNAI: While the new Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification seeks to put brakes on indiscriminate development in ecologically sensitive areas, it seeks to promote development projects such as ports and elevated roads in stable zones. Tamil Nadu has three fast expanding major ports in Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin.

The notification stipulates timelines for processing project applications, but also envisages post-clearance monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. Significantly, it has reduced the "no development zone" from 200 metres from the high-tide line to 100 metres to meet the housing demands of traditional coastal communities.

A senior official with the state highways department said the CRZ notification would not affect the two proposed elevated corridors along the Chennai coastline - from Light House to Kottivakkam and Chennai Port to Maduravoyal. "The notified rules are favourable to us. They won't affect our projects as they are proposed to be elevated corridors and will not have any adverse impact on the coastline," he said.

...

To start with, the Port authorities can open more gates ( entry & exit points) to help reduce the long wait at the gates.

This can be easily solved by adding more computers (online connection with the main computer) at the new gates.

This can reduce the problem to a great extent till the new corridor is built. Even after that the port will need more gates due to increased usage.

^^ This will take a long time to get sorted out. The 6 laned port connectivity + the elevated expressway...we can easily see 5+ years here. Unlike other infrastructure, ports can't be built so quickly. So, Chennai will retain the port advantage for that period of time...at least to some extent! :D :D

This is not about Chennai losing it to some other port, but India losing it to some other country. This port connectivity is one of the worst example of Indian bureaucracy at work. The project was originally conceived in 1998 and has still not crossed the tendering stage.

It took a big law and order problem to wake up our authorities. There was a fight between locals and lorry drivers on the ennore manali road which led to a strike and only then the chief secretary intervened. There is a meeting in the secretariat tomorrow. Hopefully they put the project on fast track and complete it in a war footing. Ports were the engine of Chinese growth. They created cities around manufacturing centers near ports. The exact opposite is happening in India.

http://epaper.dinamalar.com/DM/DINAMALAR/2011/01/12/Article//154/12_01_2011_154_004.jpg

Foundation to be laid on 19th for Port connectivity project at Thiruvottiyur!!
Light at the end of tunnel :banana:

India's Ministry of Shipping said Thursday it plans to allocate about 2.87 trillion rupees ($63 billion) to expand cargo handling capacity at all its ports.

Shipping Minister Shri G.K. Vasan said the government is planning to triple the country's cargo handling capacity from 963 million tonnes in 2009-2010 to 3.13 billion tonnes in 2019-2020.

The 10-year plan, called the Maritime Agenda 2010-2020, will see the government upgrade four of the existing 13 ports to become major maritime hubs.

The ports for upgrade are Jawaharlal Nehru and Kochi on the west coast and Chennai and Visakhapatnam on the east coast.

Further, two new major ports will be established in the east and west coast of the country, said Vasan.

The major ports are open for private investments mainly "on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis with revenue sharing mechanism."

"Foreign direct investment up to 100% is permitted for construction and maintenance of ports and harbours," said Vasan.

This will include the construction of cargo handling berths, container terminals and warehousing facilities, installation of cargo handling equipment, construction of dry-docks and ship repair facilities, among others.

Further, the government plans to allocate an additional 1.65 trillion rupees ($36 billion) to the shipping sector.

"We want to increase India's share in global shipbuilding to 5% from the current 1%," Vasan said.

The shipping ministry is also working on a Single Act Bill to unify all port regulations across the country including control on tariffs.

Source: http://www.portworld.com/news/i99785/India_to_invest_63_billion_to_triple_cargo_handling_capacity

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/port-connectivity-project-set-to-take-off/240663.html

Signalling the revival and proving his zeal towards a permanent solution for traffic chaos and congestion of container trailers reaching Chennai Port in city’s northern parts, Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan is all set to inaugurate the Rs 267-crore Chennai Ennore port connectivity project works on Wednesday.

The project, which was conceptualised way back in 1998 and failed to take off several times earlier, is finally taking off, thanks to Vasan, who took it as a personal challenge.

The commencement of the port connectivity project works at Thiruchinangkuppam on the expressway would signal that the stalled project could be completed well within two years and could ease traffic snarls caused by non-stop movement of container trailers in these parts.

On Wednesday, road works to the tune of Rs 267 crore (out of the overall Rs 600 crore worth Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP) scheme) would commence at Ennore Expressway. The scheme covers four major roads.

Twenty-nine projects involving an outlay of around Rs.100 billion (around $2 billion) would be implemented in a phased manner to expand the capacity of Chennai Port, union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan said here Wednesday.

Laying the foundation stone for the Rs.600 crore Chennai Port-Ennore connectivity road project, Vasan said: "Most of the proposed investments will be by the private sector. The investments will be in connectivity projects and setting up container terminals."

A part of the investments will be for building a mega container terminal and roll on-roll off (RO-RO) terminal, among others.

According to Vasan, the capacity of Chennai Port would increase to 140 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) - up from the current 51 mtpa - once the projects are commissioned over the next 10 years.

Speaking about the Chennai Port-Ennore road project, also known as Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP), he said it will be completed in two years with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) contributing Rs.250 crore, the Chennai Port Trust Rs.250 crore, the Tamil Nadu government Rs.58.20 crore and Ennore Port Limited Rs.41 crore.

The project will improve the 30-km road network in north Chennai that connects all the container freight stations.

The Chennai Port Trust, the NHAI and the Tamil Nadu government floated a special purpose vehicle called Chennai Ennore Port Road Company Limited for the purpose.


SourcE: http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=217349

2 years?? seriously? Hmmm lets see.. Not impossible but difficult.

http://epaper.dinamalar.com/DM/DINAMALAR/2011/01/20/Article//103/20_01_2011_103_011.jpg

* Ministry recently approved Rs.3686 crore Mega container terminal touted as biggest in India.

* Terminal to be 2 km in length, 18 m deep shore, 100 hectares space for parking containers

* To be developed on BOT basis, Investment - 561 cr:3125 cr (port trust:operator), Revenue sharing 40:60 (port trust:operator)

* Expected to be completed before 2015.

* If it comes into operation, it will become leader sending Singapore, Colombo to back seat.

* International tender opened yest, no company has shown interest. Reason: High investment cost, needs approval from 9 diff govt depts


:bash: My question:

* so will this project be taken forward or not?

^^ Definitely not. I also don't think this will overtake SG or COL...that's a farce.

If revenue sharing is brought down to 20:80 and a Govt guarantee for the Bank loan is arranged ,there may be takers for the tender..

Central Govt wants every infrastructure to be created by Private parties on BOT basis and would love to waste all Tax earnings on Revenue expenditure.The moment they see a surge in Tax collection, they will form a Pay Commission and reward themselves by paying like IT Companies who earn in Dollars per hour rate.

* To be developed on BOT basis, Investment - 561 cr:3125 cr (port trust:operator), Revenue sharing 40:60 (port trust:operator)



How can port trust expect 40% of revenue to be shared after investing just 15% of the cost. Thats not fair. No wonder none are interested. As Leo says, it should be 20:80 or at the max 25:75.

^^ may be bcoz they provide the land. but surprised to see none interested. how does the other port expansions happens in india?

Thats why they get the 5 or 10% extra. Giving 15% and expecting a share which is thrice that amount is clearly outrageous.

Ennore is a completely private port, so is Mundra. Some are done as PPP. But I am not sure about the individual components in each. Maybe someone who is well versed in these matters can fill us up.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2011/01/21/images/2011012150811801.jpg

Ennore Port Ltd (EPL), India's first corporate port, has got in-principle approval from its board to go public. The proposal will now go to the Disinvestment Commission for its approval and also to finalise the quantum of funds to be raised, according to sources.

The Central Government owns 68 per cent and the Chennai Port Trust 32 per cent in EPL.

While EPL may require funds of over Rs 800 crore in the short term to undertake various infrastructure projects, it will seek approval to raise around Rs 500 crore from public. This means, it will divest around 10 per cent of the equity, according to an EPL official. “We do not know the timing of the issue. It all depends on how quickly we get the approval from the Central agencies,” he said.

Speaking at a function here, Mr G.K. Vasan, Union Minister for Shipping, said EPL has lined up 14 projects worth Rs 6,466 crore. The projects include dredging (Rs 440 crore), various terminals, and rail and road connectivity.

EPL, during the fiscal ended March 31, 2010, handled 10.70 million tonnes (mt) of cargo against 11.50 mt in the previous year.

According to the Maritime Agenda 2010-20 released last week by Mr Vasan, Ennore Port traffic is projected to increase to 67.44 mt in 2016-17 and 71.54 mt in 2019-20. Against this projected traffic growth, the port's capacity is expected to increase from the existing 16 mt (as on March 31, 2010) to 73 mt in 2016-17. The major economic activities through which traffic and capacity will rise are development of LNG and coal terminals and expansion of outer harbour stage II and development of container terminal, respectively.

SRC: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2011/01/21/stories/2011012150811800.htm

http://epaper.dinamalar.com/DM/DINAMALAR/2011/01/20/Article//103/20_01_2011_103_011.jpg

* Ministry recently approved Rs.3686 crore Mega container terminal touted as biggest in India.

* Terminal to be 2 km in length, 18 m deep shore, 100 hectares space for parking containers

* To be developed on BOT basis, Investment - 561 cr:3125 cr (port trust:operator), Revenue sharing 40:60 (port trust:operator)

* Expected to be completed before 2015.

* If it comes into operation, it will become leader sending Singapore, Colombo to back seat.

* International tender opened yest, no company has shown interest. Reason: High investment cost, needs approval from 9 diff govt depts


:bash: My question:

* so will this project be taken forward or not?

Of all the reasons, they will be scared of 108 levels of approvals...yes, I mean it...108 levels of approvals because 8 approvals will have to come from various departments and the last approval (equal to 100 approvals) will have to come from our beloved Jairam Ramesh! :lol::lol:

^^ Definitely not. I also don't think this will overtake SG or COL...that's a farce.

Who knows? It may become.. Given that SG/COL are mainly transshipment harbours and they are leading, why cant Chennai which has lot of export oriented industries become one? Every dog has its day and lets hope this tender issue will be sorted out soon, to realise the actual port potential. :) The project is visionary. But the execution is so far dummy.

V8A4Hj9ZE-w

Some refreshing pics of Chennai and Ennore ports

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1230/5163752701_aace376fe8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36347273@N04/5163752701/)
A night at Chennai port (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36347273@N04/5163752701/) by sgyadre (http://www.flickr.com/people/36347273@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/2594104653_9784b54ab2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sachinbuddhisagar/2594104653/)
Ennore port trust,Chennai (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sachinbuddhisagar/2594104653/) by sachin buddhisagar (http://www.flickr.com/people/sachinbuddhisagar/), on Flickr

^^ Beautiful pictures.