Cabinet approves development of container terminal at Tuna Tekra, Gujarat.

The Union Cabinet recently approved a proposal to develop a container terminal at Tuna-Tekra, Deendayal Port, in Gujarat, at an estimated cost of ₹4,500 crore (apprx). The development will be under the public-private partnership mode.

The estimated cost of ₹4,243.64 crore will be on the part of the concessionaire while common user facilities of ₹296.20 crore will be on the part of the concessioning authority, it said in a statement.

The project consists of construction of an offshore berthing structure for handling three vessels at a time with allied facilities and handling capacity of 2.19 million TEUs per annum.

Initially, it will cater 14-metre draught vessels of 6000 TEUs and the common access channel will be dredged & maintained at 15.50 m to navigate container vessels (of 14 m draught) all round the clock. 

“During the concession period, the concessionaire can handle vessels up to 18 metre-draught by deepening or widening its approach channel, berth pocket and turning circle,” a statement said.

The draft of access channel may be increased based on mutual agreement on cost sharing at the time of proposal for increasing in draft. 

Deendayal Port is one of the 12 major ports in India and located on the west coast in the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat.

The Cabinet has also approved development of a multi-purpose cargo berth (other than Container/Liquid) off Tuna Tekra at Gulf of Kutch at Kandla on BOT basis under PPP mode.

The total estimated cost of ₹2,250.64 crore of which ₹1,719.22 crore will be borne by concessionaire for development of the berth (including dredging work) and ₹531.42 crore that will be borne by the Deendayal Port Authority towards capital dredging of common user-access channel and construction of common-user road.

The project involves construction of offshore berthing structure for handling four vessels and handling capacity of 18.33 million tonnes per annum. Initially, the project will cater 15-m draught vessels of 1,00,000 Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) and accordingly, the channel will be dredged and maintained with 15m draught.

The projected traffic gap by 2026 would be 2.85 mtpa and by 2030 it would be 27.49 mtpa, a statement by the Ministry said adding that the development of multipurpose cargo berth “will give strategic advantage” as it will be the closest container terminal serving the vast hinterland of northern India.

HBL