Paradip: Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) Chairman Naveen Jindal performed Bhoomi Puja on Thursday to mark commencement of construction work for the Western Dock of Paradip Port.
Paradip Port Chairman PL Haranadh and other senior officials were present on the occasion.
A JSP-led consortium last year won the bid to build a 25-million-tonne (MT) capacity dry bulk cargo terminal at the western dock of Paradip Port.
“The new Western Dock will be developed as the most modern terminal and will greatly enhance the current and expansion capabilities of large industries in the hinterlands of Odisha. It is expected to have a significant boost on economic activity and employment in Odisha and beyond,” said Jindal.
Jindal Paradip Port Limited (JPPL) will invest around Rs 3,392 crore for development of the western dock of Paradip Port. The first phase of the project, with a capacity of 12.5 MTPA, is expected to be operational in early 2025.
The project will see construction of five berths, carrying out 17 million cubic metres of capital dredging, laying 25 km of railway track, installing five ship unloaders of high capacity, six stacker reclaimer machines to handle bulk cargo, 14 km of efficient conveyor system, two silos of each 4000 tonne capacity to load coal in railway wagons, two mechanised waggon loaders to load lime stone in railway waggons, and facilities for steel cargo handling.
The overall capacity of the Western Dock Project is 25 MTPA, and with efficient cargo handling operations, the capacity can reach up to 30 MTPA.
The foundation stone for the Western Dock was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 17, 2023.
