Coal news and updates

Vessels diverted from Dhamra after paying parking fee

December 4: A number of vessels were recently diverted from Dhamra Port on the eastern coast of India after they failed to get berthing even after waiting for nearly 2-3 months, industry sources said.

“The vessels, which had come to the port and were not allowed to berth due to limited capacities were ultimately diverted by the owners of the material, mainly traders,” sources said.

However, the port, which is now owned by the Adani Group, had compelled the traders to fork out a hefty parking fee that ran up to Rs 2 crore in some cases before the vessels were allowed to move, sources said.

Dhamra Port had charged the vessels for blocking space for movement of other vessels after they arrived without prior intimation, they added.

According to information available with ICMW, Dhamra Port has contracts to provide priority berths to vessels of Tata Steel and SAIL, which takes up nearly 70% of its total handling capacity.

Of the balance 30% capacity, around 20% is allotted to vessels of group companies such as Adani Enterprises and for priority movement of power sector coal, leaving little scope for handling of other vessels, particularly to those which come unannounced.

Meanwhile, Dhamra Port is working on a plan to increase its handling capacity to 100 million tons per annum in the next few years from current capacity of about 25 mtpa.

Dhamra Port plans to invest around Rs 7,000 crore to construct around 11 berths that would take its cargo handling capacity to 100 million tons (mt) by 2020, Santosh K Mohapatra, Director, Dhamra Port, had recently told ICMW.

“We are ready to start our second phase of expansion. We were waiting for the wildlife clearance, which has come through. Now we have all the clearances to start work in a month’s time,” Mohapatra had said on November 25.

The port has plans to further enhance its cargo handling capacity to 150 mt after reaching its target of 100 mt in the next 6 years.