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DP World to open Indian port this year -

report by: Andrew White on Thursday, 18 February 2010 Arabian Business.com

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/581880-d ... r---report

AMBITIOUS: According to reports, DP World is aiming to begin operations at its new Kochi terminal this year.DP World could complete the first phase of the $650m Vallarpadam terminal project in Kochi by June, and expects to begin operations by year-end.

According to the Economic Times, the terminal is expected to act as a transhipment hub for growing trade in South India.

“DP World is targeting end-June for completion of phase 1, while operations will commence by year-end. The first phase of the project has seen an investment of $270m,” industry sources told the newspaper.

The Vallarpadam terminal is a public-private partnership project being developed by DP World, along with the Cochin Port Trust. The paper said the project had been scheduled to be commercially operational by the first week of April, but has been delayed.

“The Cochin Port Trust has invested over $325m on road, rail connectivity and dredging of the channel,” sources told the Economic Times.

The first phase has a quay length of 600 metres and a design capacity of 1m teu, the paper added. In the second phase, DP World will develop a further 300 metres of quay length with a capacity of 1.5m teu, while in the final phase, the terminal will have a capacity of 3m teu.

Cochin is an all-weather port, with minimal tidal variations, the paper said. The new terminal will allow the handling of mega container ships including the Emma Maersk, which has capacity of over 12,500teu and deadweight of over 150,000 mt.