Chennai, January 19: Twenty-nine projects involving an outlay of around Rs.100 billion (around $2 billion) would be implemented in a phased manner to expand the capacity of Chennai Port, union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan said here Wednesday.
Laying the foundation stone for the Rs.600 crore Chennai Port-Ennore connectivity road project, Vasan said: ‘Most of the proposed investments will be by the private sector. The investments will be in connectivity projects and setting up container terminals.’
A part of the investments will be for building a mega container terminal and roll on-roll off (RO-RO) terminal, among others.
According to Vasan, the capacity of Chennai Port would increase to 140 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) – up from the current 51 mtpa – once the projects are commissioned over the next 10 years.
Speaking about the Chennai Port-Ennore road project, also known as Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP), he said it will be completed in two years with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) contributing Rs.250 crore, the Chennai Port Trust Rs.250 crore, the Tamil Nadu government Rs.58.20 crore and Ennore Port Limited Rs.41 crore.
The project will improve the 30-km road network in north Chennai that connects all the container freight stations.
The Chennai Port Trust, the NHAI and the Tamil Nadu government floated a special purpose vehicle called Chennai Ennore Port Road Company Limited for the purpose.
–IANS