Essar Ports bags ₹2,276-crore Tuna Tekra terminal project in Gujarat

Essar Ports Ltd, part of the Essar Group, has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) to develop a multipurpose cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra in Kandla, Gujarat, at an estimated cost of ₹2,276.06 crore under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Essar Ports emerged as the highest bidder in a global competitive bidding process for the project, which will be implemented on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. Of the total investment, Essar Ports will contribute ₹1,552.57 crore, while DPA will invest ₹723.49 crore.

The proposed terminal will have an annual cargo-handling capacity of 18.33 million tonnes and comprise four berths, each measuring 300 metres, with an aggregate berth length of 1,200 metres. It will be designed to accommodate Cape-size vessels of up to 170,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT), with a draft capability of up to 18 metres.

DPA will provide common-user infrastructure, including dredging of the access channel, berth pockets and turning circles, as well as a common approach road. The terminal will comply with applicable environmental regulations and the Green Port Policy.

“The Tuna-Tekra project marks a defining moment for Essar Ports as we embark on a new journey to rebuild and expand our ports business. This project will serve as the foundation for our next phase of growth,” said Ashish Rajgarhia, CEO, Essar Ports.

“Through this investment, we reaffirm our commitment to building world-class maritime infrastructure,” he added.

V. Srinivasan, Operating Partner-Infrastructure at Essar Group, said the company would build on its port infrastructure expertise while pursuing opportunities aligned with India’s growing trade and infrastructure requirements.

Essar Ports currently has an operational port capacity of approximately 60 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) across Gujarat, Indonesia and the United Kingdom.