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CoPT's bunkering plan -- Good response by companies

Sajeev Kumar V

THE COCHIN Port Trust (CoPT)'s plan to set up a bunkering terminal at Kochi harbour has evoked good response from seven firms. These are Aby Engineers and Consultants of Chennai; Shahi Shipping and The Great Eastern Shipping Company, both of Mumbai; Jais u Shipping of Kandla; Sach Exports of Kochi; and Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation. The firms will make presentations before the port authorities in the first week of December.

The proposed terminal, to be developed on a BOT (build, own and operate) basis, with the port reserving the right to hold up to 26 per cent equity, is estimated to cost Rs 200 crore. The traffic is projected at a minimum of one million tonnes in the firs t year of operation. This will go up to 10 million tonnes in five years, making it possible for Kochi to emerge as the number one bunkering port in the Indian Ocean, according to a senior official of the port.

Initially, about four acres of land adjacent to the existing BTP Jetty and North Coal Berth will be allotted for setting up the terminal. There is another proposal to have the terminal installed near the proposed LNG terminal in the port's Puthuvypeen ar ea.

In the first phase, the selected firm will be required to spend about Rs 20 crore on construction of building and tank farm and land development. The facility to be provided will comprise a berth capable of receiving vessels up to 35,000 dwt and providin g a back-up area within 500 metres for setting up the tank farm. Further development could be taken up in subsequent phases.

The Kochi port, according to port authorities, is the ideal location for setting up a bunkering terminal for both international and national flag carriers as it is the only major port on the country's west coast with close proximity to the international sea route through the Indian Ocean. Besides, as it is pointed out, the port offers facilities, such as immigration, Customs and health check-up, as well as dry-dock, ship repairing, international airport that might facilitate transfer of spares and other services needed for ocean going ships and tankers.

In the fast-changing maritime environment, ships these days look for ports providing a complete range of services and facilities. A full-fledged bunkering facility is one of them. Any port offering a bunkering facility, therefore, is in a position to att ract ships and thus earn revenue.

In the Indian Ocean, there are four international bunkering terminals. These are located in Singapore (supplying 15 million tonnes of bunkers per annum), Fujairah (10 million tonnes), Durban (6 million tonnes) and Colombo (one million tonne).

Colombo,the nearest bunker terminal to India, was once a major bunkering port. Not any more. Many vessels have stopped calling at Colombo for bunkering due to the poor development of bunkering infrastructure, non-availability of sea-going bunker supplyin g tankers and political disturbances.

With Colombo losing its importance, there is demand for another port that can replace Colombo as the bunkering point. International players in bunkering are reportedly trying to acquire and develop some islands off Colombo and also near Lakshadweep Islan d to set up the bunkering facility. It is in this context arises the need for developing Kochi port into a bunkering port.