The VOC Port will become international container transshipment hub in future as the outer harbour development work is to be undertaken on an outlay of Rs. 7,000 crore, its Chairman T.K. Ramachandran said.
Speaking at the 70 th anniversary celebrations of the Thoothukudi Shipping Agents’ Association held here on Friday, he said the port, which was executing various projects with the objective of upgrading the seaport into container transshipment hub, was set to start the outer harbour development work at a cost of Rs. 7,000 crore. Besides deepening the outer harbour to receive larger vessels, new berths would be constructed under to handle more ships.
Since the port was strategically and advantageously located, the ongoing projects would transform the harbour into a international container transshipment port, he said.
Informing that the port which had recorded 11% growth during the current fiscal, had set the target of handling 40 million tonne cargo to earn Rs. 800 crore. The upcoming green ammonia and liquid hydrogen projects near the port would accelerate the growth and business of the harbour since these products would be exported through the port.
He said the harbor, while implementing projects to tap the non-conventional energy sources like wind and solar power for its operations, was digitising its operations to make it easier and faster.
Director of Thoothukudi Airport N. Subramanian said the aerodrome, handling five flights a day, was holding talks with more carriers to operate more flights to Thoothukudi from various destinations considering the rapid growth of the town. On the completion of the ongoing expansion works, the airport would be able to handle wide-body aircraft. Moreover, night landing facility would be ready by March next year.
“Once the new terminal work is completed, it will become the passengers’ terminal while the older one will be dedicated for handling cargo,” he said adding that a separate drinking water scheme for bringing water from the Tamirabharani to the airport was to be executed on an outlay of Rs. 11 crore.
