INDIA: WQ Multiport Private Ltd’s West Quay-6 berth which has been developed under BOT basis at Visakhapatnam Port will start operating from February 15 as India receives largest level-luffing cranes from China.
Two cranes each with capacity of lifting 160 tone with a discharge capacity of 20,000 tone per day were brought here from Dalian from DHHI, the manufacturer at a cost of Rs.80 crore by m.v. Zhi Xian 2. Orissa Stevedores Ltd is the steamer and custom house agent for the vessel.
The cranes will have mechanized hoppers to minimize pollution with dust separation system. The roll off operation will take four days. The cranes are expected to be commissioned in three weeks. The berth has been developed by ALBA, a joint venture of ABG Ports Ltd and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs SAS (LDA) of France with a total investment of Rs. 230 crore.
CEO of WQMPL, the special purpose vehicle, Gurpreet Malhi told The Hindu that they would handle 2.5 million tons in first year of operation and achieve full capacity of six million tones in the fourth year.
