Five consortia are understood to have responded to the Expressions of Interest (EOIs) invited by the Kolkata Port Trust for undertaking transloading operation in the Bay of Bengal.
The consortia are: ABG Group in partnership with France's Louis Dreyfus Amateurs, Shipping Corporation of India in partnership with Canada's Sea Bulk and Belgium's Bocimar, Liberty Marine in partnership with Canada's CSL, Tata-Martrade International Logistics with Italy's Coeclerici and Sesa Goa. These consortia, it is learnt, have identified several locations in the Bay for undertaking the operation, right from the Sandheads to Kanika Sands and Dhamra port. At least one consortium feels that it is possible to handle as much as 40 million tonnes of cargo annually through this operation.
But then the KOPT, according to informed sources, has to first prepare a model which can be sold to the bidders. For this, a consultant may have to be appointed to suggest how to go about it, that is, what would be the best way for the port to rope in one of these consortia for the purpose of the operation.
In the proposed model to be prepared by the consultant, it is also felt, there could be the suggestion for floating a joint venture company by the KoPT for undertaking the operation in partnerships with Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), Dhamra port and the consortium to be selected.
It might be noted that SAIL, in view of the projected rise in its imports of coking coal, too has invited EOIs for undertaking similar operation on the east coast and several firms have responded to it.
The management of Dhamra Port Company also feels that there is a good deal of potential for transloading operation in the port to be ready next year.
The poor navigability of the Hooghly river preventing big ships with large parcel loads to call either at Haldia or at Kolkata port has forced the port authorities to examine various alternatives, including transloading, to keep the port alive.
The essence of the transloading operation is this: large vessels with full load will call at a place with deep draught only to discharge the loads into smaller vessels suitable for calling at Haldia/Kolkata for a second round of discharge.
The consortia are: ABG Group in partnership with France's Louis Dreyfus Amateurs, Shipping Corporation of India in partnership with Canada's Sea Bulk and Belgium's Bocimar, Liberty Marine in partnership with Canada's CSL, Tata-Martrade International Logistics with Italy's Coeclerici and Sesa Goa. These consortia, it is learnt, have identified several locations in the Bay for undertaking the operation, right from the Sandheads to Kanika Sands and Dhamra port. At least one consortium feels that it is possible to handle as much as 40 million tonnes of cargo annually through this operation.
But then the KOPT, according to informed sources, has to first prepare a model which can be sold to the bidders. For this, a consultant may have to be appointed to suggest how to go about it, that is, what would be the best way for the port to rope in one of these consortia for the purpose of the operation.
In the proposed model to be prepared by the consultant, it is also felt, there could be the suggestion for floating a joint venture company by the KoPT for undertaking the operation in partnerships with Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), Dhamra port and the consortium to be selected.
It might be noted that SAIL, in view of the projected rise in its imports of coking coal, too has invited EOIs for undertaking similar operation on the east coast and several firms have responded to it.
The management of Dhamra Port Company also feels that there is a good deal of potential for transloading operation in the port to be ready next year.
The poor navigability of the Hooghly river preventing big ships with large parcel loads to call either at Haldia or at Kolkata port has forced the port authorities to examine various alternatives, including transloading, to keep the port alive.
The essence of the transloading operation is this: large vessels with full load will call at a place with deep draught only to discharge the loads into smaller vessels suitable for calling at Haldia/Kolkata for a second round of discharge.