JNPT’s fourth terminal concession awarded

The fourth terminal was one of the key projects to be awarded in 2010-11, but was delayed owing to court cases filed against the bidding process. APM Terminals, which operates a terminal at JNP, had challenged the port’s decision not to allow APM bid for the fourth one.

In May, APMT won the right to bid on the new terminal but after receiving the tender document, it became worried that costs to build the two-phase terminal had increased beyond the concession’s financial feasibility and withdrew its bid.

The new terminal project has been hampered by controversy and the port has been plagued by congestion as its terminals operate past their maximum design capacity. A project to deepen navigation channels to the port, enabling larger and more fully laden container vessels to call the key gateway, has also been delayed.