Vizag Port Awards Concession for Revamping West Quay-6 Terminal

 Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam port has awarded a concession to Integrated Cargo Terminal Pvt. Ltd., a special purpose vehicle of Orissa Stevedores Limited, for revamping the West Quay-6 (WQ-6) Terminal. The agreement, signed on Wednesday, aims to enhance the terminal's capacity for handling dry bulk cargo under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The project involves upgrading the existing WQ-6 berth, which is 255 meters long and has a dredged depth of 14.00 meters, allowing it to accommodate Panamax vessels with a length overall (LoA) of up to 230 meters. The total investment is estimated at 165.70 crores, including an upfront payment of 77.20 crores for berth rights.

Key features include the installation of two new Harbour Mobile Cranes (HMCs) with a lifting capacity of 120 tonnes each and a throughput capacity of 1500 tonnes per hour. The terminal will also have mobile hoppers and various handling equipment such as cranes, loaders, trucks, and forklifts, with a total cargo capacity of 5.18 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA).

The terminal will benefit from a 2.3-acre backup area for temporary cargo storage and a 12.2-acre stack yard within one kilometer of the berth. Construction is expected to take 18 months, with operations starting during the construction phase. This initiative will create approximately 100 direct and indirect jobs, incorporating state-of-the-art technology while adhering to safety and environmental standards.