Ispat Industries’ port, Geetapuram, near the West coast of India, is ready for capacity enhancement
The expansion of the river port, Geetapuram, located 100 km from Mumbai and 22 km up the Amba River, is set to get underway. Geetapuram Port services Ltd, the port operating firm of Ispat Industries Ltd which is a leading steel manufacturer, will pump in around $ 0.45 billion for the expansion project that will raise the annual capacity of the port from the present 6 million tones to 40 million.
The present draft in the channel at berth is 4.5 mtrs during high tide and dips down to 3 mtrs during low tide. No pilot is needed from the port for navigation. Designated cargo, which is discharged and loaded by ships in the midstream at Mumbai Port anchorage, is moved to and from Geetapuram Port by barges. The maximum size of barges of 3700 tonnes can easily navigate through the channel.
At present Geetapuram port has four fully mechanized cranes to handle bulk cargo. There is a LHM 280 with a handling capacity of 800 tons per hour; a LHM 250, with a capacity of 600 tons per hour and two Tata Mann barge unloaders each with a capacity to handle 550 tons per hour.
Giving details on the expansion project Capt Rajeev Singh Gautam, Director & Chief Operating Officer of Geetapuram Port services Ltd stated, “The present continuous quay length of 400 meters is being enhanced to 1700 meters which will then be able to accommodate 15 vessels simultaneously. We will bring in 8 more cranes thus increasing the present four to 12 in number. We will carry out extensive dredging of the channel and the alongside berth area in order to permit the port to accommodate Panamax size ships to compete discharge and load within 4 days from the present 7 days.”
In 1995, Geetapuram was developed as a captive port by Ispat, after the Maharashtra government gave it on lease for importing raw material for a 3 million tones (mt) a year capacity hot-rolled coils plant at Dolvi in Maharashtra. Recently the state government allowed Ispat to handle third-party cargo also at the port. Accordingly the port signed few customers to use the facility.
Basically Geetapuram is a bulk cargo port according to Capt Gautam. But plans are being developed to bring in containerized cargo, for which there are growing opportunities. Being just 3 hours sailing by barge from Jawaharlal Nehru Port, means that it is in an excellent position to serve as a complimentary facility to India’s biggest container port.