Chennai, Ennore & Kattupalli Ports - Projects Updates

[NewIdeas]

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.

[OrbitZen]

Originally Posted by NewIdeas

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.

[catick]

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

[Raji7373]

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

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

[think_different]

[krishnancv]

copyright:magnificent photographer
image hosted on flickr

Location: Chennai Port

[ChicagoThalapathi]

Originally Posted by krishnancv

copyright:magnificent photographer
image hosted on flickr

Location: Chennai Port

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

[krishnancv]

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.

[satishanu]

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/st...1251501700.htm

[prasanna]

Source

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.

[prasanna]

Source

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?

[Arul Murugan]

How bad is the road infrastructure for Chennai port



dkn

[georgenadar]

Originally Posted by Arul Murugan

How bad is the road infrastructure for Chennai port



dkn

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

[sridhar_n]

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

[Kewl Batty]

Govt clears four port projects worth Rs 4,120 cr
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.

[sridhar_n]

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.

[die4chennai]

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

[Subra]

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...1151990200.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.

[chennaidesi]

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.

[Kewl Batty]

L&T to invest $400 mn on expanding shipbuilding capacity
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.