Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India’s largest private port operator, has emerged the highest bidder and received the letter of award (LoA) for the development and operation of two dry bulk berths at Paradip port in Odisha.

The project will add 18 million metric tonnes (MMT) of new capacity to APSEZ’s portfolio, taking its total domestic capacity to 671 MMT per annum.
 
Under the 30-year concession, the project will be executed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
APSEZ will develop CQ-I and CQ-II berths with mechanised cargo handling systems, deep-draft berths, and largescale storage infrastructure, the company noted in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Ashwani Gupta, whole-time director and chief executive officer (CEO) of APSEZ said the Paradip concession will strengthen the company's presence on the East Coast and expand access to an important industrial and mineral-rich hinterland. “With Paradip, APSEZ's network grows to 16 ports and terminals across India's 11,000-kilometre coastline, strengthening our ability to deliver integrated port, logistics and marine solutions through the country's most comprehensive transport infrastructure platform,” he said.

The company said that Paradip is India’s second-largest major port and a vital bulk cargo gateway. The company believes the terminal will boost its capacity to handle rising volumes of coal, limestone, and other dry bulk commodities. It would expand its reach across core industrial and manufacturing clusters in eastern and central India.

According to APSEZ, this capacity addition addresses high utilisation across India's East Coast ports amid growing cargo demand. “Supported by hinterland steel expansions and government push for domestic coal, the project eases regional capacity bottlenecks to drive industrial growth,” it said.
 
Additionally, with a current cargo handling capacity of 653 million tonnes per annum, APSEZ commands 27 per cent of India's total port volumes, targeting 1 billion tonnes throughput by 2030.
 
The development comes days after Paradip Port Authority (PPA) successfully berthed its first Capesize vessel with a draft of 16.5 metres at Western Dock-1. It signalled the port’s growing capability to handle larger vessels and bulk cargo.

Source: Business Standard 

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