<p data-path-to-node="4"><b data-path-to-node="4" data-index-in-node="0">ENNORE, CHENNAI</b> — In a major move to augment high-capacity deepwater container handling along India’s southeastern seaboard, Kamarajar Port Authority (KPL) at Ennore has officially issued a global Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) tender under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model valued at ₹4,288 crore for its second deepwater container terminal.</p><p data-path-to-node="5">The mega-infrastructure project is engineered to add over 2 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in annual handling capacity, systematically addressing the surging export-import (EXIM) container volumes moving through South India's prime automotive, electronics, and precision engineering manufacturing corridors.</p><p data-path-to-node="7"><b data-path-to-node="7" data-index-in-node="0">Technical Specifications &amp; Mega-Terminal Architecture</b></p><p data-path-to-node="8">The proposed second container terminal will be executed across two structured phases under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) concession framework:</p><ul data-path-to-node="9"><li><p data-path-to-node="9,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="9,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Berth Frontage &amp; Draft Depth:</b> The terminal design encompasses a 1,000-metre continuous quay line engineered with an initial draft depth of 18 metres, allowing simultaneous alongside berthing of two next-generation Ultra-Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) of up to 24,000 TEU capacity.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="9,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="9,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Superstructure &amp; Quayside Mechanization:</b> Outfitted with remote-controlled Super Post-Panamax Ship-to-Shore (STS) twin-lift gantry cranes and automated rail-mounted yard gantry (e-RMG) stacking grids, ensuring crane productivity exceeding 35 moves per hour.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="9,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="9,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Intermodal Yard Footprint:</b> A dedicated 65-hectare container stacking yard integrated with advanced optical character recognition (OCR) gate portals, reefer monitoring infrastructure, and multi-tier hazardous cargo containment facilities.</p></li></ul><p data-path-to-node="11"><b data-path-to-node="11" data-index-in-node="0">Hinterland Integration and Multimodal Rail Connectivity</b></p><p data-path-to-node="12">The expansion at Ennore directly interfaces with South India's multimodal rail and highway grid:</p><ul data-path-to-node="13"><li><p data-path-to-node="13,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="13,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Dedicated Rail Sidings:</b> Direct linkups with Indian Railways and Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) scheduled freight routes, providing seamless double-stack container evacuation toward inland hubs such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru (Whitefield), and Coimbatore.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="13,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="13,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) Alignment:</b> Located in direct proximity to northern Tamil Nadu's industrial clusters, the terminal offers expedited direct-port-entry routes that bypass urban Chennai congestion.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="13,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="13,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Transshipment Independence:</b> Deepwater berths will allow major shipping alliances to establish direct mainline calls to Europe, the Mediterranean, and the US East Coast, significantly reducing southern Indian exporters' reliance on offshore transshipment hubs like Colombo and Singapore.</p></li></ul><p data-path-to-node="15"><b data-path-to-node="15" data-index-in-node="0">Strategic Alignment with Maritime Amrit Kaal 2047</b></p><p data-path-to-node="16">Port officials highlighted that the ₹4,288-crore capacity addition forms an integral part of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways' broader strategy under <i data-path-to-node="16" data-index-in-node="163">Maritime Amrit Kaal 2047</i> and <i data-path-to-node="16" data-index-in-node="192">PM Gati Shakti</i>.</p><p data-path-to-node="17">With pre-bid investor conferences scheduled for the coming weeks, the terminal concession is expected to draw strong participation from leading global terminal operating consortia and domestic infrastructure majors seeking to expand their presence along the Coromandel Coast.</p>