MUMBAI: Essar PortsBSE 0.15 % has commissioned its delayed dry bulk terminal in Salaya in Gujarat which has a capacity of 20 million metric tonne per annum. With this Rs 1,500 crore facility, the company’s total tonnage handling capacity will increase to 140 mmtpa, its CEO Rajiv Agarwal told ET.
The Salaya terminal has been delayed for the past two years or so because of pending environmental clearances. The other projects still in the works are a 16 mmtpa iron ore berth at Vizag in Andhra Pradesh, an 18 mtpa coal terminal at Paradip in Odisha and a 20 mmtpa general cargo terminal at Hazira in Gujarat.
Essar currently has a 58 mmtpa liquid terminal at Vadinar, a 30 mmtpa dry bulk or general cargo terminal at Hazira, a 16 mmtpa dry bulk terminal at Paradip and a 16 mmtpa iron ore berth at Vizag. Completion of the pending projects will take its total tonnage capacity up to 194 mmtpa. Agarwal dismissed speculation over Essar’s plans to sell some of its port assets to partly reduce group debt of more than Rs 60,000 crore.
