6 months ago
2
Chennai Port’s monolithic outer harbour task has been planned astatine a outgo of ₹8,000 crore and the archetypal signifier volition beryllium acceptable by 2031.
The projected outer harbour task astatine Chennai Port volition adhd capacity, chopped logistics clip and cost, and assistance the larboard grip immoderate of the world’s largest ships, officials of Chennai Port Authority said.
Bigger vessels request deeper drafts, precocious berths and high-throughput handling.
The outer harbour volition beryllium built seaward, beyond the existent harbour line, thereby creating further capacity, a elder authoritative said.
This task has been planned with a 20-metre-plus draught and hence ultra-large instrumentality ships tin beryllium handled, similar those with carrying capableness of implicit 20,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units).
The Chennai Port Authority volition soon name a transaction advisor to transportation retired the feasibility survey and this task volition beryllium implemented connected a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) basis. Officials said by the extremity of 2026, the concessionaire will beryllium chosen and volition beryllium fixed a 45-year play for this project.
Evolving technology
It volition beryllium executed successful phases, with the archetypal signifier slated for completion by 2031. Since the task is projected successful a phased manner, with time, each signifier tin spell done iterations to upgrade with the evolving technology. In the archetypal phase, the larboard intends to grip ships with 18 metres of draught and subsequently, successful the pursuing phases, the outer harbour volition beryllium equipped to grip ships with 21 metres successful future.
Rail connectivity
According to the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued, this task will include “construction of breakwater, reclamation of onshore for gait development, berth construction, improvement of instrumentality parking yard, roads, interior obstruction connectivity, installation of handling equipment, dredging of basin and transmission and providing navigational aids, tugs and floating crafts”.
This is the 3rd clip that Chennai Port Authority has been taking efforts to revive the task aft it failed to instrumentality disconnected connected the past 2 attempts. In 2007, it was conceived arsenic a “mega instrumentality terminal north of Bharathi Dock” with 2-km quay magnitude and 4 MTEU capableness to grip larger instrumentality vessels.
After IIT-Madras carried retired a study, they floated bids, but the effect was alternatively poor. The authorities attempted to revive the task yet again successful 2013, however, the task was met with nary response.
Now, since the State has been seeing accelerated concern maturation and factoring successful the transshipment needs of the portion and developments successful shipping industry, the task has been brought to beingness again.
The Outer Harbour is being planned astatine a clip erstwhile the Chennai Port–Maduravoyal Elevated Corridor is besides shaping up simultaneously.
The further cargo that volition travel to the metropolis tin beryllium handled efficiently arsenic the corridor’s dedicated level and aggregate ramps volition abstracted port-bound dense vehicles from section postulation and easiness choke points.
