Wednesday, August 26, 2009
India's JSW to double Jaigarh port capacity to 20 mt
Mumbai: JSW Jaigarh Port, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSW Infrastructure & Logistics, plans to double cargo handling capacity to 20 million tonnes after completion of the second phase of expansion, writes DNA India. Phase II will involve mechanisation of the berth at an investment of Rs 150 crore. Another Rs 300 crore will be spent on dredging to 18.5 metres from the current 14 meters.
The port, which was inaugurated on August 22, has been designed to handle Capesize vessels, with berths which will accommodate seven ships. It will mainly cater to the coal requirements of JSW's Energy's 1200 mw power plant. Apart from coal, it plans to handle fertilisers, bauxite and raw sugar as well.
B V J K Sharma, joint managing director and chief executive officer, JSW Infrastructure, said, "The current berth can accommodate two Capesize vessels and half of berth I is being mechanised."
The company has also proposed a 47 km railway line from Jaigarh to Bokhe, which the Konkan Railway is currently considering. The total cost of the project, including development of the port and railway line, is around Rs 2,500 crore.
The port has a capacity to handle 10 million tonnes of cargo after completion of Phase I. Of the Rs 677 crore spent in this phase, Rs 177 crore was raised through equity and the rest was debt.
As far as JSW Energy's power plant is concerned, the first unit (300 MW) will be commissioned in January 2010, and three units (of 300 MW each) will be commissioned after a gap of three months each. [26/08/09]
