Transshipment container terminal near Kochi by August

The Vallarpadam transshipment container terminal near Kochi in Kerala will be completed by August this year, Shipping Minister G K Vasan said on Tuesday. The Rs 2,118 crore (Rs 21.18 billion) International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam, being developed by Dubai Port International, was previously estimated to be commissioned in the first half of 2010.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Vasan said ICTT "will be completed by end of August." The construction of the terminal would allow berthing of mother vessels (large ships carrying containers) at Vallarpadam. Shippers currently use transshipment hubs such as Colomobo and Dubai.

The National Ship Design Research Centre, set up to promote and design research activities for shipping and ship building, has been merged with Indian Maritime University at Chennai, he said adding IMU has campuses at Kolkata, Mumbai and Visakhapatnam.

Referring to the demand for setting up an IMU campus in Gujarat, Vasan said Kandla Port Trust has approved setting up a Marine Engineering College by IMU and has allocated 12.5 acres of land. The college would be set up and run by a private developer. On developing Vadinar port in Gujarat, he said the port falls under the jurisdiction of Kandla Port Trust which has decided to develop it on its own.