Vizhinjam International Terminal to be ready by 2015

Vizhinjam International Deepsea Container Terminal coming up near here was expected to become operational by 2015, Kerala Minister for Ports and Excise K Babu informed the Assembly on Wednesday.

The state government has prepared a time-bound action plan to complete the project, for which tender process to select the Engineering Procurement Contract (EPC) bidder would begin next month, Babu said replying to a calling attention.

The government had already short listed 12 companies for the EPC out of 16 companies which bid for it, he said. The project was planned to be implemented under Public-private partnership (PPP) model and its master-plan would be ready by October this year, he said.

Work on the terminal, break-water and reclamation was expected to start after completing the Environment Impact Study in March next year, he said. A 'reputed' firm, Aecom Ltd had been appointed as EPC consultant, he said.

The tender process would be completed in August and the contract would be awarded in November, he said.

Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd, set up by the government to implement the project, would bring in a professional team to execute the works, he said.

The plan was to complete the project in three phases. First phase focusses on developing infrastructure facilites by the state itself with an estimated cost of Rs.4040 crore, he said to the calling attention by Palod Ravi (Congress).

Funds for the project would be mobilised through loans and issue of bounds, he said adding a Consortium of Banks, including State Bank of Travancore, had been formed to mobilise resources.

The estimated cost for setting up infrstructure like power, road and rail connectivity, drinking water and other facilities was about Rs.1,657 crores, while land acquisition would come around Rs.794 crore.