Tamil Nadu: Rs 7,055 Crore VOC Port Transshipment Hub Project Under Review By State Government

The Tamil Nadu government is actively considering to transform the Outer Harbour Project of V O Chidambaranar Port (VOC port) into a container transshipment hub.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 7,055 crore.

This announcement was made by VOC Port chairman (in charge), Bhimal Kumar Jha.

He revealed that berth number 9 at the port will soon be converted into a container terminal. This terminal will have the capacity to handle six lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers.

In his statement, Jha emphasised the port's plans to enhance its capabilities. Furthermore, the north cargo berth-III will be fully mechanised and dredged to a draft of 14.20 metres, facilitating the handling of bulk cargo, reports The New Indian Express.

To support these developments, the port has invited bids for the deployment of four 120-tonne capacity harbour mobile cranes.

Potential To Be A Global Transshipment Hub

V O Chidambaranar Port, strategically close to the East-West International sea routes on the southeastern coast, is one of the 12 major ports in India and the second-largest in Tamil Nadu.

The VOCPA was declared a major port by the government of India in July 1974.

The port is an artificial harbour protected by two breakwaters and is connected to deep water by a dredged channel. The port has a handling capacity of around 70 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) with 16 berths, including two container berths.

The port has recorded consistent growth in container traffic in recent years. In the last four years, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, VOCPA handled container traffic of 6.92 lakhs TEUs, 7.39 lakhs TEUs, 8.04 lakhs TEUs and 7.62 lakhs TEUs respectively.