Increase envisaged in cargo handling capacity

ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD: Gwadar Port Terminal Expansion Plan 2018-19 envisages increase in cargo handling capacity with the inclusion of four berths – dry bulk berth, mineral ore berth, oil handling berth and general cargo berth.

Sources said that the renovation of existing terminal has been completed and cargo handling capacity of containers increased. The terminal expansion plan included to built a 150,000 ton dry bulk berth with the handling capacity of about 10, 000, 00 tons a year, and a 200,000-ton ore berth with the handing capacity of about 13,000,000 tons/year.

The expansion plan also includes building a 250,000 tons crude oil berth with the handling capacity of 17,000,000 tons/year and a 70,000 ton general berth with cargo handling capacity of 20,000,000 tons.

The dry bulk berth is 322m long with 22 hectares of land behind, mineral berth 368m long with 14 hectares of land behind while oil handling unloading berth is 515m long with 14 hectares of land behind and size of general berth is 285 m long and 21 hectares of land behind.

Sources said that Gwadar Free Zone had two portions, Southern initial/Pilot Zone and Northern Main Zone with different sub-zones and free zone pilot development project is almost completed at an estimated cost of US $160 million while an additional investment of US $250 million will be from 5 main investors. The construction of four industrial units is about to start with work on northern main zone.

The PC-1 for construction of Eastbay Expressway was approved by Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) two years ago and physical and financial progress on the project is around 9 percent.

The project is to be completed by 2020. Cost of the project is Rs14,061.79 million with foreign exchange component Rs13,542 million. Interest free loan is to be provided for the project by Chinese government. The demand for release of Rs6,487.92 million from the FEC is pending with Planning Commission. Progress of survey work, geotechnical work and site establishment remained slow due to strict security implementation reasons. Due to remoteness of the project site, the contractor may face problems in getting local labour, material and equipment etc.

Eastbay Expressway Phase-II of Gwadar Port was approved by 5th Joint Coordination Committee as Early Harvest Project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) at a total estimated cost of Rs6 billion.

The proposed Expressway Phase-II will connect the Eastbay Expressway Phase-I with New Gwadar International Airport. The PC-II for feasibility study for construction of Phase-II Eastbay Expressway was submitted to Planning Commission for approval on November 7, 2017, asking that Chinese side may be requested to provide interest free loan. Approval of the PC-II is still awaited.