Gangavaram Port in Visakhapatnam, India is developing as the deepest and all-weather port in India capable of handling super cape size vessels of up to 200,000 DWT. The port is being developed privately through public-private partnership with an initial cargo handling capacity of 30 MMTPA. Modern and highly mechanized facilities have been installed, including ship loaders and unloaders, conveyor systems, stackers, reclaimers, and wagon loaders to efficiently handle coal, iron ore, and other dry bulk cargos. The port aims to serve as the gateway for industrial development in Andhra Pradesh.

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Gangavaram Port ---- the Ultra Modern
Deepest Port of India
By
PRABIR DATTA,B.Sc,F.I.E(I),
MEMBER,CONSULTING ENGINEERS’ ASSOCIATION OF INDIA,
CONSULTANT CHARTERED MECHANICAL ENGINEER

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Upholding the true spirit of Public Private Partnership the State Government
of Andhra Pradesh, India, with an intention to develop the Port on the Public
Private Partnership model, conducted a global bid process and selected the
consortium led by Mr.D.V.S.Raju, to develop and operate the port.Gangavaram
Port has the unique distinction of being one of the few Greenfield projects in
India which has been implemented on schedule. Construction at the site
commenced in December 2005 and the Port commenced Trial commercial
operations at the port in August 2008.Gangavaram Port has been developed as
all weather, multipurpose, deepest port in India with a depth up to 21 meters
capable of handling Super Cape size vessels of up to 200,000 DWT.
Gangavaram Port with its deep draft berths will act as the gateway port to
existing and Greenfield projects planned in the hinterland. It ability to handle
larger vessels efficiently will result in substantial savings to trade and port
users. The greenfield port development is planned in three phases over 15-20
year time horizon. The port is expected to have a cargo handling capacity of
around 200 MMTPA. It will have facilities of handling super-cape size bulk
carriers. The port will be a multi-purpose facility with hinterland rail/road
connectivity, storage areas and high mechanisation in cargo handling.
Gangavaram Port in Phase-I, will be able to handle cargo up to 30 million
metric tones per annum (MMTPA). It will be able to provide efficient cargo
handling services for a variety of bulk cargo groups including Coal, Iron Ore,
Fertilizer, Limestone, Food Grains, Steel products, Petrochemicals etc.The
Port, its related facilities and material handling system have been planned to
meet the highest standards in terms of pollution prevention and safety.
Gangavaram Port is located at Visakhapatnam, the industrial nerve center of
Andhra Pradesh around Latitude 17° 37' N and Longitude 83° 14' E, about 15
kms south of Visakhapatnam Port.The site for Gangavaram Port is the best
location for development of a modern all weather, deepwater, multipurpose
and truly next generation port. The coast here forms a bay between Yarada
Hill at north and Mukkoma Hill at south. A creek in between these two hills
forms Balacheruvu Lagoon, where the natural port of Gangavaram is being
developed.

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Berths in phase-I Size Alongside Depth
1 Coal Cargo 320 x 25 m 19.50 m below CD
2 Iron Ore Cargo 340 x 25 m 19.50 m below CD
3 Other Dry Cargo 275 x 31 m 15.50 m below CD
4
Multipurpose
Cargo
281 x 31 m 15.50 m below CD
5 General Cargo 242 x 28 m 14.00 m below CD
The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Late Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy
inaugurated and dedicated the Gangavaram Port to the Nation at a grand
ceremony held on 13th July,2009, at the Port.
Cargo Handling Facilities
New generation mechanized cargo handling system has being installed at
Gangavaram Port for faster and efficient handling and evacuation of cargo
with minimum handling loss. Cargo handling equipment installed in Phase-I
development include, Ship Loader for bulk exports, Ship Unloaders for bulk
imports, Mobile Harbour Cranes for bulk/break bulk cargo, associated
conveyer system for transportation to and from stackyard, Stackers &
Reclaimers for stackyard operations and Wagon loader & Wagon tipplers for
handling Railway rakes.

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Stack Yard machines
Gangavaram port has installed the new generation completely mechanized
material handling system at the port for faster and efficient handling and
evacuation of cargo with minimum handling loss.
COAL SHIP UNLOADERS

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SHIPUNLOADERS,LOADER AND MOBILE HARBOUR CRANES
The Design and Project Management Consultants for this project were
Consulting Engineering Services(India) Private Ltd,New Delhi and SOROS,USA,
Consortium,duly selected by an International Competitive Bidding.
Technology partners for the port included global players in Material Handling
Systems like Duro Felguera, S.A of Spain and ZPMC of China. Implementation
partners included reputed global engineering companies like Larsen and Tubro
Limited. Dredging for the port was done by the global major Dredging
International.

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IRON ORE SHIPLOADER AND JETTY CONVEYOR
Mechanised cargo handling equipment including Loaders, Unloaders and
Mobile harbor cranes have been installed at berths to load and discharge
cargo from vessel. High speed conveyor systems have been installed to
convey cargo to and from berths to stackyard. Stackyards have been planned
with modern and high capacity stackers and reclaimers to stack and reclaim
cargo. Port railway terminal has been planned with separate sidings for
inbound Cargo with wagon tipplers and with wagon loaders for loading
outbound cargo from the port. Mechanized system will be monitored by state
of the art Programmable Logic Control (PLC) and Computerised Operation
system. New generation mechanized cargo handling system has been
installed at Gangavaram Port for faster and efficient handling and evacuation
of cargo with minimum handling loss. Cargo handling equipment being
installed in Phase-I development include, Ship Loader (One Loader with Rated
Capacity of 4500 Tonnes per Hour) for bulk exports, Ship Unloaders (2
Unloaders with Rated Capacity of 2400 TPH each) for bulk imports, Mobile
Harbour Cranes (2 Cranes with Rated Capacity of 1500 TPH each) for
bulk/break bulk cargo, associated conveyer system for transportation to and
from stackyard, Stackers & Reclaimers for stackyard operations and Wagon
loader (Rated Capacity of 1500 TPH) & Wagon tipplers (Rated Capacity of 24
Tips per hour) for handling Railway rakes.

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WAGON LOADER
All the above port facilities and equipment have been designed to meet the
highest standards in terms of pollution control prevention and safety.
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