Cochin Port to modernise coal handling in PPP
Updated: Jun 10, 2014 12:28:46pm
Kochi, Jun 10 (KNN) Handling of coal at the Cochin Port will be modernised in Public-Private-Partnership mode at an estimated cost of Rs 198 crore, raising hopes that coal imports for the power plants located on the coasts will be made easier.
The maritime gateway to peninsular India, Cochin is the fastest growing logistic centre emerging in to a major international transhipment terminal. An all-weather natural port, and located strategically close to the busiest international sea routes Cochin is promoting a major liquid terminal, bulk terminal and maritime industries in its port based SEZs .
Cochin Port has been handling coal since its inception at the North Coal Berth and South Coal berth on the Mattancherry Wharf. The report on the Master Plan for Redeveloping Willingdon Island has highlighted the great potential for coal handling in Cochin Port, especially in view of the fact that it is the major port lying nearest to the route to African coal, official data said.
The existing Q8-Q9 berths can handle 12.5 m draft vessels without any modification.
This berth could also be modified at minimal cost to handle 14.5 m draft fully-loaded panamax vessels. The berth lies just 800 m away from the ICTT basin where 14.5 m draft is already available; capital dredging would cost only around Rs.25 crore for achieving the required depth at the berth.
Cochin Port Trust is therefore initiating a new project for modernising coal handling, and will develop a mechanized coal handling facility on 300 m berth of Q8-Q9 berth in the PPP format. The project will have a stackyard of 17 ha. The berth also has a railway line. The project capacity will be around 5 MMTPA.
In this context, Cochin Port Trust has called for bids from parties who can handle the modernisation of coal handling on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.
India's coal imports rose 20 per cent to 105.8 million tonnes in April-October last year from a year earlier as power producers turned to Indonesia to help feed new plants, according to media reports.
Regulatory and bureaucratic delays in adding new mines and expanding existing ones have made India the No. 3 importer of coal, even though it sits on what BP (BP.L) ranks as the world's fifth-largest reserves. Imports leaped 34 per cent to 137.56 million tonnes in 2012/13, the report said.
April-October shipments of thermal coal, used in power generation, jumped 28 per cent to 81.6 million tonnes, it added.
Amidst reports of most of the districts in the north reeling under massive load-shedding with people battling without electricity for 18-20 hours, India is projected to see a power shortage of 5.1 per cent compared to demand in the current financial year with the southern and north-eastern regions anticipated to witness high deficits.
"A capacity addition of 17,800 MW during the year 2014-15 comprising 14,958 MW of thermal, 842 MW of hydro and 2,000 MW of nuclear power stations has been considered," according to the latest annual 'Load Generation Balance Report' by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the planning body for the power sector.
According to CEA which comes under the Power Ministry, the country is expected to see a power shortage of 5.1 per cent this fiscal year (2014-15) even as the deficit is projected to be very high in the southern region.
The report said the "country is expected to experience a peak shortage of 2 per cent and energy shortage of 5.1 per cent, despite very high shortages likely to be experienced by Southern Region".
Going by the projections, the shortfall in the southern region would be 12.7 per cent; north eastern - 17.4 per cent; eastern - 3.4 per cent, and northern - 3.1 per cent. However, the western region is expected to see a marginal surplus of 0.3 per cent. (KNN/ES)
The maritime gateway to peninsular India, Cochin is the fastest growing logistic centre emerging in to a major international transhipment terminal. An all-weather natural port, and located strategically close to the busiest international sea routes Cochin is promoting a major liquid terminal, bulk terminal and maritime industries in its port based SEZs .
Cochin Port has been handling coal since its inception at the North Coal Berth and South Coal berth on the Mattancherry Wharf. The report on the Master Plan for Redeveloping Willingdon Island has highlighted the great potential for coal handling in Cochin Port, especially in view of the fact that it is the major port lying nearest to the route to African coal, official data said.
The existing Q8-Q9 berths can handle 12.5 m draft vessels without any modification.
This berth could also be modified at minimal cost to handle 14.5 m draft fully-loaded panamax vessels. The berth lies just 800 m away from the ICTT basin where 14.5 m draft is already available; capital dredging would cost only around Rs.25 crore for achieving the required depth at the berth.
Cochin Port Trust is therefore initiating a new project for modernising coal handling, and will develop a mechanized coal handling facility on 300 m berth of Q8-Q9 berth in the PPP format. The project will have a stackyard of 17 ha. The berth also has a railway line. The project capacity will be around 5 MMTPA.
In this context, Cochin Port Trust has called for bids from parties who can handle the modernisation of coal handling on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.
India's coal imports rose 20 per cent to 105.8 million tonnes in April-October last year from a year earlier as power producers turned to Indonesia to help feed new plants, according to media reports.
Regulatory and bureaucratic delays in adding new mines and expanding existing ones have made India the No. 3 importer of coal, even though it sits on what BP (BP.L) ranks as the world's fifth-largest reserves. Imports leaped 34 per cent to 137.56 million tonnes in 2012/13, the report said.
April-October shipments of thermal coal, used in power generation, jumped 28 per cent to 81.6 million tonnes, it added.
Amidst reports of most of the districts in the north reeling under massive load-shedding with people battling without electricity for 18-20 hours, India is projected to see a power shortage of 5.1 per cent compared to demand in the current financial year with the southern and north-eastern regions anticipated to witness high deficits.
"A capacity addition of 17,800 MW during the year 2014-15 comprising 14,958 MW of thermal, 842 MW of hydro and 2,000 MW of nuclear power stations has been considered," according to the latest annual 'Load Generation Balance Report' by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the planning body for the power sector.
According to CEA which comes under the Power Ministry, the country is expected to see a power shortage of 5.1 per cent this fiscal year (2014-15) even as the deficit is projected to be very high in the southern region.
The report said the "country is expected to experience a peak shortage of 2 per cent and energy shortage of 5.1 per cent, despite very high shortages likely to be experienced by Southern Region".
Going by the projections, the shortfall in the southern region would be 12.7 per cent; north eastern - 17.4 per cent; eastern - 3.4 per cent, and northern - 3.1 per cent. However, the western region is expected to see a marginal surplus of 0.3 per cent. (KNN/ES)
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