Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL), a special purpose vehicle promoting an eponymous project near here, has received two bids for selection of the port operator.

A consortium of Welspun Infratech, Welspun Corp and Leighton Welspun Contractors and the Mundra Port and Special Economic Zones are the two successful bidders, according to the Kerala Minister for Ports, Mr K. Babu.

TECHNICAL BIDS

The technical and financial bids for selection of the port operator for the multi-thousand crore port and international container transhipment terminal project were opened late on Tuesday evening.

The technical bids would be scrutinised within the next 10 days for responsiveness and compliance with the qualifications sought. On completion of the technical evaluation, the VISL would proceed to open the financial bids.

The Government of Kerala has decided to develop Vizhinjam based on the ‘landlord port model’ wherein the basic infrastructure will be developed by the VISL through an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract.

‘LANDLORD PORT’

Infrastructure to be raised as part of this includes the breakwater, quay wall, dredging and reclamation, and external connectivity (road, rail and utilities).

The private partner (port operator) would construct the superstructure for the port operations and the terminal. It would operate and maintain the facility for a period of 30 years.

The Request for Qualification elicited 14 bids, and the State Government accepted the recommendation to pre-qualify 12 to whom the Request for Proposal and the draft concession agreement were given.

The two technical and financial bids for the port operator have been selected from among these, Mr Babu said.

The port operator’s inputs shall be considered during preparation of the master plan and also during the EPC construction.

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