MPA to sign deals for expansion and cruise tourism

Panaji: Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) is eyeing an investment from private players of about Rs 3,000 crore, which will help the major port increase cargo handling capacity, boost renewable energy consumption, and redevelop two berths for cargo and cruise tourism. The port expects to exchange 24 MoUs at the India Maritime Week, which will begin on Oct 27 in Mumbai. The agreements include the redevelopment of Berth 9 for multi-cargo and Berth 3 for cruise tourism.

“One of our MoUs, which will be signed, is for the redevelopment of Berth 9, which is going to be a major capacity builder for our cargo output. We will have a 350m-long berth that can cater to bigger-sized vessels,” said N Vinodkumar, chairperson, MPA. “The port currently handles 65 million tonnes, and we intend to increase it to 100 million tonnes by 2035.”

Additionally, MPA is working with a private player to extend Berth 3 to 250m, enabling the port to handle four cruise vessels simultaneously. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to deliver the keynote address at the Global Maritime CEO Forum during the event.

Stating that India was poised to become a superpower in the maritime sector by 2047, Vinodkumar said that Mormugao Port would also witness several developments in the coming years. “As part of the overall development of the maritime sector in the country, Mormugao Port is expected to host container vessels in a month or two. The feeder vessels will arrive from Mumbai and will be connected to Mundra Port in Gujarat,” he said.