Visakhapatnam Port

Visakhapatnam Port is one of twelve major working ports in India and the only major port of Andhra Pradesh. It is India's third largest state-owned port by volume of cargo handled and largest on the Eastern Coast. It is located 880 km from Kolkata Port and 780 km from Chennai Port, almost midway between the two other major ports along the coast of Bay of Bengal.

History
Although the need for building a port on the east coast to access Central Provinces was felt by the British in the 19th century, the proposal of Col. H.Cartwright Reid of British Admiralty for constructing a harbour at Visakhapatnam was approved by the Government only after the First World War. The Inner Harbour was built by the Bengal Nagpur Railway between 1927 and 1933 to facilitate the export of manganese ore from the Central Provinces. The port was built at a cost of ₹378 lakhs. The Port opened to ocean traffic with the arrival of a passenger vessel, S.S. Jaladurga of the Scindia Steam Navigation Co., on 7 October 1933 and was inaugurated by Lord Willingdon on 19 December 1933.

During the Second World War, the military significance of the port increased. After India's independence, the port witnessed growth under the various Five Year Plans. Over time, the port has grown from one with 3 berths handling 1.3 lakh tonnes per annum to one with 24 berths and annual traffic of 65 million tonnes. The port was notified as a major port in 1964 under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. Under the act, the Visakhapatnam Port Trust is in charge of running the port.

Layout of the port
The port has two harbours: the Inner Harbour consisting of 22 berths and the Outer Harbour consisting of 8 berths. The inner harbour encompasses a water area of about 100 hectares and has three arms—northern, western, and north western—and is shared by the Port, Shipyard, and Eastern Naval Command. The northern arm is the main commercial arm of the inner harbour and has 19 berths. The western arm has three berths. The north western arm is entirely occupied by the Indian Navy.

The outer harbour has a protected tranquil basin of 200 hectares surrounded by a set of breakwaters (length of 3.025 km) on the eastern, southern and northern sides of the basin. The outer harbour has eight berths, a single point mooring (SPM), and a fishing harbour.

M/s.Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. and the Headquarters of Eastern Naval Command also exist adjacent to Visakhapatnam Port.

The Dolphin's Nose Hill to the north of the entrance channel protects the harbour from cyclones that strike the east coast. The port is located on the area of a creek through which the coastal river Narava Gedda joins the sea.

Hinterland and cargo
The hinterland of the Visakhapatnam Port extends to north eastern Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, southern Orissa. Iron ore, manganese ore, steel products, general cargo, coal and crude oil are the main commodities handled at this port.

Rail
The port is connected to trunk railways directly through the railway yards to the Chennai-Howrahmain lines of East Coast Railway. Port owns and operates a railway system with track length of about 186 km within port area. In 1971 the port owned 16 locomotives. The entire port railway system is upgraded to the Railway standards. Electrification of lines and installation of RRI (Route Relay Interlocking) system are taken up in a phased manner.

Road
The Port is connected to National Highway – 16 (formerly called as NH-5) by 4 lane link road of 12 kms. developed and maintained by a SPV constituted by NHAI as a JV with VPA. Port is contemplating augmentation of the connectivity into a 6 lane road. A grade separator from H-7 area of VPA to the takeoff point of Port Connectivity Road at Convent junction separates port traffic from city traffic at Convent junction and makes vehicle transport more efficient.

Green Port Initiatives
Port of Visakhapatnam commissioned 10 MW Solar Power project at a cost of Rs. 60 crores with a power generation of about 178 lakh units per annum and connected to the grid. The plant is meeting the entire power requirement of the port making it self sufficient. The power generated over and above the requirement of the port is being supplied to the pooled bank. Port also installed 190 KW Solar Power Plants utilizing the roof top spaces at a cost of Rs. 1.28 crores. The two Plants are also generating 800 units per day. M/s. ReNew Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd., installed power Plants on rooftop spaces of VPA buildings for generation of 580 KW Solar Power. In addition to power generation, VPA is taking initiatives towards conservation by reducing power consumption.About 1008 nos. of 250 W SV/Metal Halide street lamps are replaced with 120 W LED street lights (energy saving of nearly 6.22 lakhh units or Rs. 42 lakhs per annum).High Speed Diesel blended with 5% Bio diesel with low sulphur content is used for locomotives

Major development Activities

 * Installation of mechanized fertilizer handling facility at EQ-7 berth in inner harbour at an estimated cost of Rs 200.99 Crores with a capacity of 3.61 MTPA.
 * Development of WQ-7&8 berths in inner harbour at an estimated cost of Rs 288.47 Crores with a capacity of 6.30 MTPA
 * Revamping of existing WQ-6 on DBFOT for handling of dry bulk cargo in inner harbour at a projected cost of Rs.250 crores with a capacity of 5.5 MTPA
 * Upgradation of ERP System at a cost of Rs.56 Cr for automation of all business processes
 * Development and Mechanization of existing EQ-6 berth in the inner harbour for handling all types of cargoes at a projected cost Rs.70 crores with a capacity of 2.81 MTPA
 * Construction of covered storage sheds in Port area at an estimated Cost of the Project Rs.116 Crores in an area of 10 Acres.
 * Development of Truck parking terminal in Port area at a cost of Rs.36 Crores in an area of 20 Acres.
 * Electrification of railway lines in VPT area for a length of 38 ETKM at a cost of Rs.16.52 Crores.
 * Mechanization of WQ-1,2&3 berths at a cost of Rs.350 Crores
 * Modernization of Fishing harbour with an investment of Rs.151 Cr
 * Multi modal connectivity projects with an investment of Rs.1390 Cr