APSEZ, 3 more firms in race to develop Vadhavan port offshore land

Gaurav Dayal, chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) said bids for the ₹22,323-crore project had been received from APSEZ, DP World Ports Holding (India) Pvt Ltd, NMDC group PJSC and Vishwa Samudra Engineering

Mumbai: Four companies including Adani group firm Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) Ltd have submitted bids for development of offshore land by dredging and reclamation, and construction of offshore protection bund for the upcoming Vadhvan port in Palghar district.

APSEZ, 3 more firms in race to develop Vadhavan port offshore land

Gaurav Dayal, chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) said bids for the ₹22,323-crore project had been received from APSEZ, DP World Ports Holding (India) Pvt Ltd, NMDC group PJSC and Vishwa Samudra Engineering.

“We are sending the proposals for security clearance to the ministry. Financial bids will be opened after clearance is received,” Dayal said.

The greenfield port at Vadhavan is being built by Vadhvan Port Project Limited (VPPL), a joint venture between the JNPA and Maharashtra Maritime Board, at a cost of ₹76,220 crore. The ground breaking ceremony for the port was held before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The contract for building the port’s breakwater, the longest in India at 10.14 km, was awarded recently to Afcons Infrastructure. J Kumar Infraprojects has been contracted to build the Vadhvan-Tawa Expressway, connecting the port with National Highway-48 and the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has also asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to extend the Uttan-Virar sealink and connect the JNPA to the sealink.

The port will have a cargo handling capacity of 298 metric tonnes per annum and design vessel capacity up to 24,000+ TEU container vessels. The port will require reclamation of 1,448 hectares of land and comprise nine container terminals with total container berth length at 9,000 metres. It will have four multipurpose berths of 250 metres each, four liquid bulk berths, one RoRo berth and a 200-metre tug/pilot craft berth. It will have a 32 km internal road network, a railway yard will be established on 227.5 hectares and buildings will come up on 23,500 square metres.