<p data-path-to-node="2"><b data-path-to-node="2" data-index-in-node="0">GANDHIDHAM</b> — In a major expansion of mechanized cargo-handling capabilities along India’s western littoral, the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA Kandla) has executed a formal 30-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession agreement with JSW Infrastructure Limited to finance, construct, and operate a state-of-the-art, 14-million-metric-tonne-per-annum (MMTPA) multipurpose clean dry-bulk cargo terminal at Tuna-Tekra.</p><p data-path-to-node="3">The ₹1,780-crore project, executed on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) framework under the model concession architecture of the <i data-path-to-node="3" data-index-in-node="126">Major Port Authorities Act</i>, marks a critical capacity addition for DPA Kandla—India’s highest-volume major port gateway. The signing ceremony, held at the DPA administrative headquarters in Gandhidham, was overseen by senior port trustees, engineering directors, and commercial executives from JSW Infrastructure.</p><p data-path-to-node="4">The strategic intervention addresses severe quay utilization pressures within Kandla’s inner-creek harbor basin, where tidal constraints and manual handling lines have historically extended waiting times for heavy bulk carriers. By expanding Tuna-Tekra’s deepwater outer-berth precinct, the new terminal provides an all-weather, deep-draft maritime gateway engineered specifically to process surging import volumes of non-polluting dry bulk commodities, including chemical fertilizers, food grains, agricultural produce, structural steel billets, and industrial minerals.</p><h6 data-path-to-node="5"><b>Engineering Architecture and Superstructure Specifications</b></h6><p data-path-to-node="6">Under the approved technical development master plan, JSW Infrastructure will develop a modern, heavy-duty cargo transshipment complex over a multi-hectare waterfront and backup land footprint:</p><ul data-path-to-node="7"><li><p data-path-to-node="7,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Berth Frontage and Navigational Draft:</b> The project encompasses the construction of a 600-metre continuous quay wall backed by extensive capital dredging. Dredging works will establish an all-weather alongside operating draft of 15.5 metres, with structural foundations engineered to support subsequent deepening to 16.5 metres. This profile enables Tuna-Tekra to dock fully laden Capesize and Panamax dry-bulk vessels of up to 120,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) without tidal delays or expensive offshore lighterage.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Quayside Mechanization:</b> The berth will feature high-velocity, rail-mounted grab ship unloaders (GSU) and multi-purpose mobile harbor cranes (MHC) delivering a combined rated handling capacity of over 3,500 metric tonnes per hour, substantially compressing vessel berthing cycles.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Enclosed Yard and Material Conveyance:</b> To ensure zero ambient environmental dust dispersion, cargo discharged from vessel holds will be transferred directly into sealed, high-speed pipe conveyors and overhead rubber conveyor trunk lines spanning 4.2 kilometres from the berth head directly into covered storage godowns.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Storage Infrastructure:</b> The onshore estate will feature heavy-duty concrete-paved stockyards, automated stacker-reclaimers, and pressurized, ventilated warehouse sheds covering more than 90,000 square metres to protect sensitive agricultural grains and chemical fertilizers from seasonal moisture.</p></li></ul><h6 data-path-to-node="8"><b>Hinterland Intermodal and Rail Evacuation Grid</b></h6><p data-path-to-node="9">To prevent landside bottlenecks and ensure smooth inland cargo evacuation, the terminal incorporates an advanced multimodal evacuation network:</p><ul data-path-to-node="10"><li><p data-path-to-node="10,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Dedicated On-Dock Electrified Rail Sidings:</b> The concessionaire will construct four full-length railway tracks within the terminal siding perimeter, complete with high-speed automated rapid-loading silos and dynamic track scales. The automated silos can load full 58-wagon BOXN rake formations with bulk fertilizer or grain in under 75 minutes.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Direct Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) Interface:</b> Rail movements from Tuna-Tekra will tie directly into the electrified Western DFC feeder network via Gandhidham, establishing a high-velocity, high-axle-load freight conduit directly linking Kandla to key consumption and agricultural centers across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">National Highway Corridor:</b> Landside drayage will connect directly to National Highway 8A through dedicated grade-separated access corridors, segregating heavy commercial trailers from local urban traffic flows in Gandhidham and Adipur.</p></li></ul><h6 data-path-to-node="11"><b>Commercial and Regional Supply Chain Impact</b></h6><p data-path-to-node="12">Senior port administration and industry trade representatives noted that the commissioning of the 14-MMTPA terminal will transform logistics economics across northwestern India’s industrial belt:</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">Compression of Vessel Turnaround:</b> Mechanized quayside grabbing and rapid overland conveyance will compress average vessel turnaround times from 72 hours down to sub-28 hours, saving ship charterers and import syndicates thousands of dollars daily in foreign exchange demurrage penalties.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="13,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="13,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Food and Agriculture Supply Security:</b> Northern India’s farming belts rely heavily on imported rock phosphate, muriate of potash (MOP), and diammonium phosphate (DAP). High-throughput unloading and covered railhead dispatch insulate critical fertilizer distribution pipelines from seasonal supply shocks ahead of peak sowing periods.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="13,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="13,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Green Port Alignment:</b> Incorporating automated dust-suppression misting arrays, 100% electrified yard machinery, captive rooftop solar installations, and closed-loop wastewater runoff recycling ensures strict compliance with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways’ <i data-path-to-node="13,2,0" data-index-in-node="271">Harit Sagar</i> Green Port Guidelines.</p></li></ul><p data-path-to-node="14">JSW Infrastructure confirmed that detailed engineering procurement and site mobilization will begin immediately, with Phase-1 commercial operations targeted for commissioning within 30 months.</p>