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Tight bidding for Chennai terminal
2009/3/13
The global economical meltdown seems to have had little impact at the Chennai Port as the authorities are overwhelmed by the response they have got from bidders to build, operate and transfer the country''s first mega container terminal at the port, the Times of India reported.
Nine companies submitted their request for qualification (RFQ) to get themselves qualified for the US$711.2 million project, termed Chennai Port''s most ambitious project till date.
All the applications will be evaluated on the basis of the eligibility criteria stipulated in the bid document and the shortlist of pre-qualified applicants who will be eligible to participate in the request for project bid stage will be drawn up after receipt of security clearance from the central government.
"The enthusiasm, despite the recession, shows that Chennai has a lot of business prospects to offer in the coming years. The mega container terminal, the first of its kind in the country, will have a quay length of 2 kilometres and will have the deepest berth, 22 metres, in the country. It will bring Chennai port on a par with other international ports in Western countries," Chennai Port Trust chief engineer Srinivas Kannan said.
The terminal will enable Chennai port to handle ultra large container ships of 18,000 TEUs.
Chennai Port Trust, whose share in the $711.2 million project will be $108.3 million, will also maintain the berth depth.
"Building and operating the container terminal will be done by the selected company for a period of 30 years. However, maintaining the depth of the berth will be our responsibility. We will also provide the navigation guides," said Kannan.
At present the port has two container terminals handling more than 1.2 million TEUs per annum, accounting for 60 percent of the container traffic handled at the four container terminals in South India.
Kannan said the container traffic in Chennai would go up considerably after the mega container terminal was commissioned. Many ultra large container ships can be brought to Chennai port and it promises an excellent business opportunity for the companies who are bidding for the project.
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2009/3/13