New Mangalore Port Approves Berth Nine Redevelopment

The scheme envisages dismantling legacy structures and raising the berth draft from 10.5 metres to 14 metres, with a future?ready provision up to 19.8 metres to accommodate vessels up to 200,000 DWT including Very Large Gas Carriers. The berth will handle crude oil, petroleum products and LPG and is designed for a cargo handling capacity of 10.90 million tonnes (mn t) per annum, with a minimum guaranteed cargo of seven point six three mn t by the fifth year. The construction phase is scheduled for two years and the concession period is 30 years inclusive of construction.

With an estimated cost of Rs 4,382.9 mn, financial terms include fixed royalty payments linked to cargo volumes and mandatory minimum cargo guarantees to ensure revenue stability. The redevelopment will replace nearly fifty?year?old structures with modern marine works designed for a 50?year structural life to improve long?term sustainability and resilience. Operational performance is expected to improve through mechanisation, including high?capacity marine unloading arms and automated mooring systems.

By enabling the handling of larger vessels and gas carriers, the port will gain economies of scale that should reduce logistics costs and enhance competitiveness for the Karnataka and Kerala hinterlands, facilitating trade and supporting industrial growth. Advanced safety and compliance systems such as modern firefighting infrastructure, nitrogen generation skids and integrated control systems are included to ensure safer handling of hazardous liquid cargo and to strengthen regional energy supply chain resilience over the concession period.