Chennai Port to revive INR80-billion outer harbour project to handle ultra-large container ships

Chennai Port's massive outer harbour project has been planned at a cost of INR80 billion. Its first phase will be ready by 2031.

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The proposed outer harbour project at Chennai Port will add capacity, cut logistics time and cost, and help the port handle some of the world's largest ships, officials of Chennai Port Authority said.

Bigger vessels demand deeper drafts, advanced berths and high-throughput handling.

The outer harbour will be built seaward, beyond the current harbour line, thereby creating additional capacity, a senior official said.

This project has been planned with a 20-metre-plus draft and hence ultra-large container ships can be handled, like those with carrying capacity of over 20,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units).

The Chennai Port Authority will shortly appoint a transaction advisor to carry out the feasibility study. This project will be implemented on a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) basis.