The Kattupalli port is to begin operations this month end with a soft launch. The port by L&T is coming up adjacent to the Ennore port with an initial investment of over Rs 2,000 crore.
The original plan was to launch in April. However, with most of the works completed, the company was preparing to launch in January. But due to a delay in getting clearance from the Customs department, which should first notify the terminal to handle containers, the launch will be in April.
“The issue with the Customs has been sorted out. We will inaugurate the port with a soft launch. Most of the VVIPs are not confirming the date, hence, a soft launch,” said an official in L&T Ports.
It is learnt from industry sources that the company has even appointed trailer operators inside the terminal for movement of containers.
Shipbuilding
Larsen & Toubro Ltd along with Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation formed a joint venture company, L&T Shipbuilding Ltd, to develop a ship building yard-cum-minor port complex at Kattupalli. This was to enable the domestic ship building industry to build ‘flotilla' for the Navy and the Coast Guard.
Since a stand-alone shipyard cannot sustain a large-scale investment for a breakwater supported harbour, the State Government has also permitted the company to handle other commercial cargo in line with the Minor Port Development Policy.
Facilities
The port facilities comprise 1.5-km long northern breakwater, 3-km long southern breakwater, 5-km long navigational channel to a depth of 15 metre and other harbour-related infrastructure. The company will handle containers, which will be operated by the Manila-based International Container Terminal Service, and also build offshore platforms, besides meeting the requirement of the Defence, he said.
In April 2011, International Container and L&T signed a container port operation agreement to manage, operate the Kattupalli International Container Terminal.