VISAKHAPATNAM PORT

Located on the East Coast of India,midway between Calcutta and Chennai, the Visakhapatnam Port serves the requirements of six steel plants - Bilai, Bokaro, Rourkela, Durgapur, Visaphapatnam in the public sector and TISCO plant in the private sector. The Dolphin’s Nose Hill and Ross Hill promontories, one to the South of the entrance channel and the other to the north, offers the Port shelter from cyclones during the monsoon months. The Port is well connected by rail, road and airways.

Location

Visakhapatnam Port is ideally located almost midway between Calcutta and Chennai at a latitude 17o41’N and Longitude 83o18’E serving a vast and rich hinterland.

Port Facilities

Warehousing & Storage Facilities:

Covered:

Open Space (inSq.mtrs):

Within Customs limits	2,88,351
Outside Customs limits	6,25,258
Iron Ore Stacking Space	85,000
Other Open Space	1,52,319
Total:	11,50,928

Cargo Handling Equipment:

Container HandlingFacilities:

• Gantry Cranes - 2 Nos.
• Spreaders of - 2 Nos.
• Plug points to handle reefer containers - 88 Nos.
• Mobile cranes - 4 Nos.
• Top lift carrier of 42 tonne capacity - 1 No.
• Standby generators of 320 KVA
• Covered storage area - 3000 sq.mtrs
• Open storage area - 1 lakh Sq.mtrs.
• Fork lift turcks - 43 Nos.

Dry Dock:

1. Port Dry Dock size : 137x18x5.6 mtrs. Vessels of 122 mtrs. LOA, 5 mtrs. Draft, at Inner Harbour.

2. Fishing Harbour Dry Dock : 65x21x6.10 mtrs. (Fishing Harbour Can accommodate Fishing Trawlers of 53 mtrs. LOA, 15 mtrs. Beam and 4.5 metrs. Draft or 2 nos. Trawlers of size 23 mtrs. LOA, 8 mtrs. Beam & 3.9 mtrs. Draft.

3. HSY Dry Dock : Is capable of attending to repairs of vessels upto a maximum size of 244m. x 37m.

Conveyor Belt System:

A long overhead conveyor system for loading iron ore, (4.8 kms. - one way) running about 10 to 12 metres above ground level, exists. The conveyors are supported by precast RCC frames founded on piles. The conveyor is desi- gned to run at a speed of 210 metrs./minute. The conveyors are connected to the Dumping Yard/Wagon Tipplers (Receiving end) to the Ship Loader at OB-1 & OB-II.

Future Plans/Privatisation

The major development activities include:

a) Projects Funded from Internal Resources: Berths

• An exclusive jetty for unloading LPG in an isolated location in the outer harbour is complete in March, 2000. The berth will be ready in all respects by March, 2000. all respects, except for installation of fire fighting facility which is expected to be installed by
• One deep draft berth in outer harbour of 284 mtrs. LOA and 14 mtrs. draft to accommodate vessels of 65,000 DWT initially and 1,00,000 DWT eventually. This berth will be converted into container terminal for handling post panamax mainline vessels. The berth has a paved storage area of 30,000 sq.mtrs. with road connectivity. The expected date of commissioning is April, 2000.
• Construction of another contiguous berth by extending it by 165 mtrs, to have total quay length of 449 mtrs. will be taken up shortly. The paved storage area for this berth will be 12,000 sq.mtrs. with road connectivity.
• Modification to general-cum-bulk cargo berth in outer harbour to obtain berth flexibility is under progress.
• Channel berth to secure commercial ships. (This berth was commissioned on 31.10.99)

b) Modernisation of Cargo Transfer Systems

• Procurement of 17 Nos. higher capacity electric wharf cranes.
• Procurement of two tugs as replacement of two old tugs.
• Procuremnet of 2 Nos. rail mounted grab unloaders of 33 tonne capacity to optimise berth capacity with higher output rates.
• Procurement of higher capacity locos.
• Procuremnet of higher capacity mobile cranes, fork lift trucks, top lift truck.
• Procurement of 4000 TPH Bucket wheel reclaimer.
• Induction of Information Technology and improvement in communication facilities.

c) Infrastructural Augmentation

• Development of additional stacking area including reclamation/Hard surfacing
• Construction of additional storage sheds & warehouses
• Development of Exim Park for Port based industries
• Development of Container Freight Station.
• Deepening the Port waterways including slope protection
• Modification to south break waters.

d) Re-designing the Transport System

• Development of additonal link roads from Port to the Industrial bypass road.
• Development ofplanned road network connecting the newly developed operational areas and Exim work.
• Revamping and modernisation of Port Railway System.

e) Progress in Private Sector Participation

• Out of four berths in the inner harbour two berths are proposed on BOT basis environmental clearance was obtained. Pre-qualification tenders were invited.
• BOT bid documents were issued to pre-qualified applicants on Jan. 23, 1999, pre-bid evaluation was held on 1st March, 99 and clarification sought by the firm replied on March 15, 1999.
• First cover of the bid opened on May 28, 1999.
• Tenderers were requested for engaging their own labour is cleared. Other request of the tenderer for changes to the draft agreement from bankability consideration are referred to MOST. Once these issues are settled, price bids will be opened.

f) Two Berths for Captive Users

Two captive users viz., Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Utkal Alumina Company have requested the port to permit them to construct berths of their own to handle a throughput of one million tonnes per annum on account of each company. Accordingly, Board has approved the proposal subject to approval of Government, to permit two captive users for construction of two berths viz., W.Q. 6 and WQ. 7 at their cost.

g) Container Freight Station & Container Park

In order to attract container traffic on a large scale and to provide full-fledged infrastructural facilities for stacking, stuffing and de-stuffing the containers, it is proposed to establish a container freight station and container park at this Port. Central Warehousing Corporation has expressed its willingness to convert one of the five storage sheds constructed by them in the land leased out by the Port as covered accommodation for container freight station and to develop the open storage area of about 6,000 sq.mts. for container freight station during the first phase. Visakhapatnam Port Trust Board has accepted the proposal of Central Warehousing Corporation for exclusive operation of container freight station for a period of 3 years and it is expected to be commissioned by mid 2000.

Traffic Handled Commoditywise Imports and Exports at Visakhapatnam Port during 1996-97 to 1999-2000 (April to Sept. '99)