Kolkata, Sep 8 (IANS) The trial operations of the Dhamra Port in Orissa would start this month, a top company official said here Wednesday.
Dhamra Port is a 50:50 joint-venture between Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Tata Steel.
‘We will start trial operations this month. Our rail connectivity will be ready over the next three-four months in phases. Rail connectivity is at its last leg. By January it will be fully functional,’ Santosh Mahapatra, chief executive officer, Dhamra Port Company, told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organised by Confederation of Indian Industry.
To start with, it would have 22 million tonnes capacity on an annualised basis. ‘We are staring off with two berths.’
Mahapatra said Rs.3,000 crore has already been spent for the project and an additional Rs.7,000 crore would be invested in the next five years for the expansion work.
‘We will have a total of 13 berths in phases. By the time it is fully ready it can handle nearly 85 million tonnes,’ he said.
The project would require another 800 acres for expansion.
‘We would like to complete the entire project in the next five years,’ Mahapatra said.
About the contracts it has signed so far, he said: ‘We had good response. Lots of bookings are already in place.’
