Rs. 410-bn Great Nicobar Island transhipment port project invites EOI

Proposed port will have handling capacity of 16 mn containers per year

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways would soon invite expressions of interest (EOI) from interested parties for an international transhipment port project to be built at Great Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal. The project is anticipated to cost Rs. 410 billion with investments from government and PPP concessionaire, according to an announcement from the ministry.

The proposed port in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will handle more than 4 million containers in the first phase, out of the eventual capacity of 16 million containers per year. The airport, township, and power plant are among the additional projects planned around the transhipment port, the announcement stated.

The project is situated along international trade route in proximity with transhipment terminals of Singapore, Klang, and Colombo. The statement further stated that the project focuses on three main factors that can make it a leading container transhipment port. These factors are – a strategic location close to the international shipping trade route (40 nautical miles); availability of natural water depth of over 20 metres; and the carrying capacity of transhipment cargo from all the nearby ports, including Indian ports.

The goal of this holistic island development is to fill in the infrastructure gaps and enhance the economic opportunity for increase in size of various vessels, from feeders to big intercontinental carriers. Additionally, the facilities and service levels of the proposed infrastructure shall match the global standards of the leading container transhipment terminals and neighbouring ports.