The Chennai Port Trust (CPT) has invited bids to develop its latest mega box terminal project that is projected to handle 4 million TEUs a year.
The final day for submission of requests for qualification (RFQ) is June 16, after which CPT will invite requests for proposals.
The project was announced last August, when CPT said it wanted a mega box terminal capable of handling even the biggest box ships of 15,000 TEU capacity.
Officials say the project is in line with CPT's long-held plans for Chennai to become the container hub of the Indian east coast.
Plans for an along-side depth of 18 metres (m) would rank the new terminal as among the world's deepest, while the proposed capacity to handle 4 million TEUs per year would make it India's single largest box facility.
CPT also announced plans for one of the proposed breakwaters at the new mega box terminal to be utilised as a deep drafted oil berth for handling very large crude carriers (VLCCs).
Several local reports have estimated the cost of the mega box terminal at $750-760 million.
The terminal will be developed on a build-operate-transfer basis under a 30-year concession, said CPT's chief engineer, AK Gadkari.
Construction work would start in the next two to three years, he was quoted as saying.
The winning developer will design, finance, construct and operate the new facility while the CPT will handle the 'supportive works', especially capital dredging, he said.
According to Gadkari, the JV between PSA and Sical, the Chennai International Terminal (CIT) - which is currently building a 1.3-million-TEU-per-year terminal at Chennai - will not be allowed to bid for the project.
This is to avoid a monopoly, said Gadkari, who predicted CIT would begin operations by April 2009.
CIT was created when CPT in March 2007 selected the PSA-Sical JV to develop Chennai's second box terminal on a build-operate-transfer basis for a concessional period of 30 years.
Meanwhile, CPT is targeting a throughput of 5 million TEUs by 2027, compared with the current volume of close to 1 million TEUs.
Chennai's current box facility, DP World-run Chennai Container Terminal Private Limited (CCT), handled 885,000 TEUs during 2006-07, an increase of 20.5% year-on-year.
CCT is 75%-owned by DP World. A Global Infrastructure Partners unit, International Port Holdings (IPH), had acquired the remaining 25% stake from DP World last year.
Chairman of the CPT, K Suresh, has indicated that iron ore and coal trading will be moved over to Ennore port, with the available space being converted to new container terminals.
The final day for submission of requests for qualification (RFQ) is June 16, after which CPT will invite requests for proposals.
The project was announced last August, when CPT said it wanted a mega box terminal capable of handling even the biggest box ships of 15,000 TEU capacity.
Officials say the project is in line with CPT's long-held plans for Chennai to become the container hub of the Indian east coast.
Plans for an along-side depth of 18 metres (m) would rank the new terminal as among the world's deepest, while the proposed capacity to handle 4 million TEUs per year would make it India's single largest box facility.
CPT also announced plans for one of the proposed breakwaters at the new mega box terminal to be utilised as a deep drafted oil berth for handling very large crude carriers (VLCCs).
Several local reports have estimated the cost of the mega box terminal at $750-760 million.
The terminal will be developed on a build-operate-transfer basis under a 30-year concession, said CPT's chief engineer, AK Gadkari.
Construction work would start in the next two to three years, he was quoted as saying.
The winning developer will design, finance, construct and operate the new facility while the CPT will handle the 'supportive works', especially capital dredging, he said.
According to Gadkari, the JV between PSA and Sical, the Chennai International Terminal (CIT) - which is currently building a 1.3-million-TEU-per-year terminal at Chennai - will not be allowed to bid for the project.
This is to avoid a monopoly, said Gadkari, who predicted CIT would begin operations by April 2009.
CIT was created when CPT in March 2007 selected the PSA-Sical JV to develop Chennai's second box terminal on a build-operate-transfer basis for a concessional period of 30 years.
Meanwhile, CPT is targeting a throughput of 5 million TEUs by 2027, compared with the current volume of close to 1 million TEUs.
Chennai's current box facility, DP World-run Chennai Container Terminal Private Limited (CCT), handled 885,000 TEUs during 2006-07, an increase of 20.5% year-on-year.
CCT is 75%-owned by DP World. A Global Infrastructure Partners unit, International Port Holdings (IPH), had acquired the remaining 25% stake from DP World last year.
Chairman of the CPT, K Suresh, has indicated that iron ore and coal trading will be moved over to Ennore port, with the available space being converted to new container terminals.
"By the time the second terminal reaches 1 million TEUs by 2012-13, the port will have its third container terminal. New facilities will be ready every five years up to 2027 to touch 5 million TEUs," Suresh said.