Mumbai Port Trust has shortlisted 11 bidders for
its proposed Rs.1,197 crore offshore container terminal project, bidding for
which closed on 11 March 2005.
These bidders will now submit their requests for
proposal (RfP) after which the successful bidder would be announced.
The short-listed bidders include foreign
operators such as P&O Ports, Dubai Ports Authority, Maersk, Evergreen Marine
of Taiwan and Mistui OSK of Japan, apart from Indian players such as L&T,
Adani Ports, United Liner Agency of the JM Baxi Group, Gammon India and ABG
Heavy Industries. MbPT rejected the bid of Casby Logistics as it did not meet
the requirements of finance and experience laid down by the port.
When the port had invited bids for the project
for the first time, in 2004, there was not a single bid. The port attributed the
poor response to the uncertainty over the projected traffic potential and cargo
evacuation constraints. The bidding process of MbPT's project also coincided
with that for the third container terminal at the neighbouring Jawaharlal Nehru
Port.
Over the past one year, MbPT incorporated a
series of incentives to make the project attractive. Some of these are:
1. MbPT would offer the existing Ballard Pier
Estate container berth to the successful bidder. With this, the successful
bidder could start earning revenues even as offshore container terminal takes
shape.
2. MbPT has assured to improve the cargo
evacuation facilities by providing better rail and road linkages.
3. The cost of deepening the channel to 15m,
which is around Rs.100 crore, would be borne by MbPT unlike in the previous
proposal which envisaged this project segment as the developer's responsibility.
4. MbPT would be willing to offer container
freight station (CFS) space to the successful bidder if it (the bidder) wants to
set up its own CFS.
The project envisages setting up of a offshore
container terminal having three berths on BOT basis. Phase I of the project
involves construction of two berths with a total capacity of 0.8 million TEUs
followed by the third berth that would take capacity to 1.2 million TEUs in
Phase II. The first right of refusal to develop the third berth would rest with
the selected developer of Phase I.
Also See:
MbPT
offshore container terminal: 12 bids received (21-Mar-05)