18-metre draft unlocked at Kamarajar Port: How Rs 440 crore move will impact cargo handling at Ennore
Kamarajar is now the second after the Visakhapatnam Port that can handle fully laden Capesize vessels of up to 1,70,000 dwt
Kamarajar is now the second after the Visakhapatnam Port that can handle fully laden Capesize vessels of up to 1,70,000 dwt.
Kamarajar is now the second after the Visakhapatnam Port that can handle fully laden Capesize vessels of up to 1,70,000 dwt.
Kamarajar is now the second after the Visakhapatnam Port that can handle fully laden Capesize vessels of up to 1,70,000 dwt.
The Kamarajar Port has become India's second major port to unlock an operational 18m draft, following the completion of its Rs 440 crore Capital Dredging Phase VI project.
Kamarajar is now the second after the Visakhapatnam Port that can handle fully laden Capesize vessels of up to 1,70,000 dwt, which will serve as a major boost for its cargo handling capabilities.
The Kamarajar project, in line with the shipping ministry's focus on making the port 'cape-compliant', involved the deepening of the outer approach channel from 20m to 23m and the inner entrance channel from 19m to 22m.
The Rs 440 crore project also involved the dredging of associated berths to handle the 18m draft, a harbour basin, and associated navigational areas.
"This achievement will significantly improve cargo-handling efficiency, reduce logistics costs, enhance ease of doing business and strengthen the port's role as a key gateway for India's EXIM trade," said Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), in a statement.
The boost in the port's draft capabilities will enable it to take in larger vessels, resulting in lower freight costs through economies of scale, improved operational efficiency, and increased cargo-handling capacity.
This comes amid the Ennore-based port's plans to construct a second container terminal, for which it locked a 2027 timeline earlier this month.
Months after it invited bids from terminal developers in December 2025, it received a number of contenders, including five top Indian and global players, who have expressed interest in the approximately Rs 4,300 crore port project.
Once approved by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) of the Union government, which is likely to happen in July, the tender will be floated in August, which will kick off the 2027 construction timeline for the container terminal project.
In that regard, the port had also invited Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for the development of two bulk cargo berths under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, in April 2026.