Ennore Ports sails on record performance

Chennai, Apr 2 (UNI) Ennore Port Limited (EPL) has achieved a record traffic and financial performance during 2006-07 for the first time since its commissioning in 2001, its Chairman and Managing Director Velumani said today.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Velumani said the port crossed ten-million-tonne mark for the first time by handling 10.7 million tonne of cargo.

It also registered an income of Rs 105 crore for the first time with a record profit of 25.35 crore for 2006-07 surpassing the MoU target of Rs 23.44 crore with the Centre.

Though the port was primarily dedicated to handling coal for TNEB, its cargo basket included iron ore, petroleum and oil products as well which it continued to handle through temporary facilities.

During the year, it handled 1.72 million tonne of iron ore and utilised 115 per cent of its temporary facility capacity.

On expansion projects, he said the work on construction of three MTPA marine liquid terminal costing Rs 200 crore and the iron ore terminal were in various stages of implementation.

The eight MTPA coal terminal would come up at an investment of Rs 350 core while the 12 MTPA iron ore terminal would cost Rs 500 crore.

EPL had also submitted a proposal for developing a world class container terminal on the BOT basis to the Union Government for clearance.

The first stage of the project would involve an investment of Rs 1,300 crore for handling 1.5 million TEUs.

UNI