New Delhi, Sep 15 (Agency) India’s largest private port operator Adani Group on Thursday signed an agreement with state-owned Haldia Dock Complex of Shyama Prasad Mookherjee Port to invest Rs 298,26 crore for the mechanisation of a berth, according to official sources. “The Concession Agreement between Haldia Dock Complex, SMP, Kolkata, and M/s. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) for Mechanisation of Berth No. 2 of Haldia has been signed today (Thursday),” an SMP statement said.
“This is the maiden step of APSEZ to enter the region through competitive bidding at Haldia Dock Complex, The mechanisation of the berth would be done on a design, build, finance, operate, transfer (“DBFOT”) basis at Haldia Dock Complex,” it added. The project involves the mechanisation of Berth No 2 at HDC at an investment of Rs 298.26 crore to handle 3.744 MT of dry bulk cargo per annum. The project is for handling Dry Bulk cargo by the way of unloading from vessel by Mobile Harbor Crane/unloader, conveying through a conveyor system, storage at yard by stacker cum reclaimer and loading into wagons through mechanised silo loading system, under the agreement.
T?e Adani Group’s move follows a promise made by its chairman Gautam Adani during the West Bengal government-organised business meet early this year that they would invest Rs 10,000 crore In the state over the next 10 years. Adani had said the group’s investments will span world-class port infrastructure, state-of-the-art data centres and undersea cables connected across the oceans, centres of excellence in digital innovation, warehouses and logistics parks. The APSEZ has emerged as the highest bidder by quoting a royalty of Rs 75.07/MT. The concession period would be of 30 years and the operation at the Berth is expected to commence from September, 2025. The project will help increase the cargo handling capacity and also the fast evacuation of cargo at Haldia Port. UNI PC SSP