The Adani Group and the Orissa
government have tied up to develop the
Gopalpur fair weather port into an all weather port under BOOT
scheme at a cost of Rs.27 billion. The development of the port
would be taken up in three phases over the next ten-year period.
The first phase would involve an investment cost of Rs.0.5 billion
for repairing the existing jetty and construction of a jetty of
around 200 metre long to handle the vessels of 30,000 to 35,000
DWT. The next phase of development would require an investment
of Rs.6.5 billion to handle cargo of around 6.5 million tonne
annually. It would involve construction of four berths and a protecting
breakwater along with the required back-up storage and handling
facilities. The Adani Export Limited is also planning to rope
in Al-manhal International Group of United Arab Emirates for the
development of the port.
River draft hike in Calcutta Port Trust fails to
influence the shipping liners as the
improvement is yet to meet the requirements and the operators
have decided to continue with the draft surcharge on CDS (Calcutta
Dock System) bound vessels for the time being. As a result, CDS
is losing traffic to the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) due to the
lower draft surcharge on HDC. Thus, constant traffic erosion has
made CDS more unacceptable in comparison to HDC.
Mitsui
O.S.K Lines, NYK Line-K Line- SCI consortium has bagged the first
competitive bid LNG shipping project in the country of Petronet
LNG Limited. The consortium will acquire two LNG tankers of
1,38,000 cubic metre capacity each from Korea�s Daewoo Shipbuilding
yard at an estimated cost of $370 million for transporting 5 million
tonnes per annum of LNG cargo from Qatar, for Petronet LNG Ltd.
The consortium is looking at a debt-equity ratio of 3:1 to finance
the acquisition of two LNG tankers. The Shipping Corporation of
India is expected to contribute about $32 million as security
for holding a 34.21% stake in the consortium.
The Indian Maritime Association (IMA), London, the Indian National
Shipowners' Association (INSA) and the Union Ministry of Shipping
are jointly supporting the first conference "Indian shipping
: Opportunities and issues in the new millennium" to
be held in London on May 28 and 29, 2001. The conference would
promote the Indian Maritime sector and provide a forum where the
domestic and international shipping communities can discuss key
issues ranging from policy, privatisation and liberalisation,
infrastructure, foreign investor perspective, world trade and
economic factors, bulk, liner and LNG shipping, offshore industry,
finance, shipbuilding, ports-private and public and manning and
training.
The Ministry of Shipping has formed a high-powered committee
with representatives from the Ministry, Directorate-General of
Shipping , the Shipping Corporation of India and Inland Waterways
Authority of India to work out the modalities for integrating
inland water transportation with coastal shipping.
Diamond Shipping plans to increase exports of
agro-products, textiles, engineering goods and machinery products
during next fiscal. The company has
also set a sales target of Rs.0.4 billion by the end of the current
fiscal. The company, which currently operates container feeder
vessels from Kolkata and Mumbai to Singapore and Colombo, has
started operations in the eastern block and Scandinavian countries
and is also eyeing at China and South-East Asian nations.
The Sheths have increased their stake in Great
Eastern Company from 14.5% to 17.23%
through the buyback. The company had set aside Rs.1.5 billion
at maximum of Rs.42 a share for the buyback. The buyback has led
to a reduction at Rs.2.15 billion from Rs.2.58 billion in the
paid-up capital of the company.
The Save Shipping Corporation of India Forum
has expressed agitation against the Union Government�s decision
to privatise the Indian shipping major SCI, sacrificing the national
interest. The proposed strike is likely to cripple the movement
of maritime vehicles on the Indian shores. The secretary of SCI
Officer�s Association has clearly stated that in spite of being
one of the most profitable government undertakings and one of
the few PSUs to serve the country in national disasters, it is
going to private hands. Furthermore, it would destroy the country�s
self-reliance and would not get any socio-economic services, like
passenger services in the unprofitable routes and emergency services.
Shipping Corporation plans to launch
direct container services to the Far East by the end of May 2001.
SCI has already entered into a consortium with some leading shipping
lines such as Kline, Yang Ming, Pacific International Lines and
Dong Nama for this Far East venture. With the introduction of
the new direct container service, SCI expects to enhance market
share to 25%.
Essar group is likely to withdraw
from the Rs.23 billion Hazira LNG terminal project due to
"over crowding" of gas projects on the western coast
as the region may not be able to absorb the amount of gas coming
by way of proposed projects. Besides, the five million tonne Essar-Shell
LNG terminal, LNG import facilities of more than 12.5 million
tonne by various consortias are being put up in Gujarat. British
Gas is putting up 2.5 million tonne LNG terminal at Pipavav while
Petronet LNG plans to set up a 5 million tonne import facility
at Dahej.
Cochin Shipyard Limited laid the keel for the Chennai Port Trust's ocean going trailing suction hopper dredger. The dredger, equipped with two trailing suctions and having a capacity of over 1,700 cubic metres, will be built at a cost of Rs. 530 million. The self-propelled vessel will be powered by two diesel engines with a speed of 12 knots.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India
(IWAI) is planning to acquire from Raymond a jetty on the
Hooghly river front as part of its overall plan to develop cargo
handling and warehousing facilities at Shalimar in the Howrah
district. IWAI is waiting for a formal clearance from the Railway
Board.
NHAI has signed a $181.6 million road project
with Malaysian Consortium for the upgradation of 158 kms of
National Highway in Andhra Pradesh. The agreement involves widening
of NH-5 to four lanes from Tada and Nellore and is likely to be
completed in three years.
The Indian Railways has tied up with Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd. (GPPL) to provide port connectivity consisting of a gauge conversion of a 250-km-long section from Surendranagar to Rajula city and a 14-km-long new line from Rajula to the port. The project cost has been estimated at Rs.2.9 billion and is expected to be completed in a year�s time. The project will be implemented with a debt-equity ratio of 1:2 with Railways and GPPL both holding 26 per cent equity stake each.
Container Corporation is likely to negotiate with Eastern Railway and South-Eastern Railway to explore the possibility of running fixed time container trains between its ICDs at Shalimar/Cossipore and the Haldia dock under the Calcutta Port Trust to boost international traffic. Concor has also initiated several other steps to boost international traffic from the eastern region.
Visakhapatnam Port Trust has invited sealed tenders under
two-cover system. Tender for: long term lease of VPT land
measuring acres 11.50 cts at north of Fly Over Bridge in Zone
VIII for "SETTING UP, DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF PORT
SIDE CONTAINER TERMINAL"
Tender Notice Number: EE(ESTATES)/TC/38/655, DATE-19-03-2001
EMD: Rs. 1,15,000
Last date of issue of tender papers: 18-04-2001
Visakhapatnam Port Trust has
invited sealed tenders from the reputed manufacturers/contractor.
Tender for: Supply, installation and testing of safe load
indicators for EC-26 and EC-27 ELL Wharf Cranes of M/s. Mukund
make.
Tender Notice Number: QCME/MOF/MOFL/EIT/121 DATED-
27.3.2001.
Estimated Cost: Rs. 6,89,800/-
EMD: Rs.13,800/-
Date of issue of tender papers: 04.04.2001 to 16.04.2001.
Tuticorin Port Trust has
invited
Tender for:
Work of loading dredged spilt coal, conveying and dumping in a
place north of cooling water channel inside security wall.
Estimated Cost: Rs. 8.98/- lakh
Contract period: Six months
Contact Address: The Chief Engineer, Tuticorin Port Trust,
Engg Dept (Civil), Tuticorin - 4
Last date for submission of tenders: April 7, 2001
upto 15.00 hours.