Gujarat’s CM Vijaybhai Rupani granted approval to ‘The Letter of Intent’ for developing the world’s first CNG Terminal Port at Bhavnagar. Following this the developmental works will begin now and it will place the Bhavnagar port as significant port on the ‘World Maritime Map’. With issuance of this permission by the CM, the Gujarat Maritime Board has initiated all mandatory procedures required as per the rules and regulations.
The permission in principle for developing the world’s first CNG Terminal Port in Gujarat with Swiss Challenge System’ was granted by the Chief Minister in a meeting of ‘The Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board’ held in November-2019. Taking into consideration the various holistic policies for the first Brownfield Port project of Gujarat, the state government has given permission to various companies such as Foresight Group, Padmanabh Mafatlal Group and Netherland based Boskalis Company, as the developers, for developing the world’s first CNG Terminal under this Brownfield port.
On the basis this, the consortium will undertake works of preparing a DPR and will obtain an environment clearance, which are estimated to take 18 months, and after that the construction works at the spot will be finished in three years.
The CNG Terminal Project to be built at Bhavnagar port is estimated that Rs. 1,300-crore will be invested in the first phase. The project has plan to develop a CNG Terminal with capacity of handling 15-lakh tonnes of cargo per year, along with a liquid cargo terminal with capacity of handling 45-lakh tonnes per annum, container and white cargo terminal, and ‘RO-RO’ Terminal. The entire project will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,900 crores.
The project will generate large scale employment opportunities for the local youths in the fields such as logistic, transportation and warehousing. For the development of this port at Bhavnagar, dredging in channel and port basin, construction of two lock-gates and infrastructure facilities for CNG transportation on shore will be developed. At present, the Bhavnagar port is managed by the Gujarat Maritime Board and handling 30 lakh metric tonnes of cargo per year. With the completion of the CNG Terminal, the cargo handling capacity of the Bhavnagar port will become 90 lakh metric tonnes per annum. It should be significant to mention here that Bhavnagar has connectivity of the Broad-gauge Railways and National Highways too; as a result, the benefits of CNG terminal in transporting the goods will also be available to northern and western regions of the country.
