TMCnet News
Long wait almost over as strategically placed Gwadar port nears completion(Lloyds List Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)ONE of the most important transport infrastructure projects in Pakistan at present is the building of Gwadar port in Baluchistan province. This has been a long process but construction work at the port is almost complete, and official sources have indicated that the port will handle its first commercial vessel in June this year. Furthermore, additional dredging of the Gwadar port access channel is now well under way. This will increase the depth to 14.5 m, allowing the port to handle large containerships and bulk carriers. The dredging work is expected to be completed, along with other civil engineering works, by December. Construction of an administration block, control tower, service and maintenance facilities and internal roads is also well in hand. Terminal facilities for container, general cargo and bulk cargo handling have already been created and it is expected that these will be operated by DP World of Dubai. The precise terms and conditions of the terminal operating agreement are now being negotiated, following the decision of the Pakistani Prime Minister in February to sanction the selection of DP World as preferred bidder for the concession. Phase one of the Gwadar port development has involved the construction of three multipurpose berths, 600 m in length overall, which will be used for container, bulk and general cargo handling, a 4.5 km approach channel, a 450 m diameter turning basin and a 100 m service berth. Other investment has included the acquisition of port handling equipment, a pilot boat and tugs. At this stage in its development Gwadar will be able to handle bulk carriers up to 30,000 dwt and container vessels of 25,000 dwt. It is estimated that this first phase of the project has cost around $250m and this has been funded with more than $190m of assistance from the Chinese government as well as the involvement of Chinese construction equipment and personnel. A second phase of the Gwadar port development is envisaged, and this will proceed on a BOO-BOT basis at an estimated cost of $600m. The intention is to build nine additional berths, including four for container traffic, a bulk cargo berth able to take ships up to 100,000 dwt, a grain terminal, a ro-ro facility and two oil tanker berths capable of handling tankers of 200,000 dwt. Gwadar has a good strategic location on the Gulf of Oman. One of the key advantages of the port is that it is close to the Gulf region yet vessels do not have to enter the straits of Hormuz. The port is also close to the main east-west ship-ping routes and so vessels have to make only a limited deviation to call there, while the port has natural protection against the elements and this has reduced the cost of the infrastructure development. The facility is also well placed to provide access to landlocked former Soviet central Asian republics and Afghanistan and is considered ideally located as a transit point for cargo moving to and from these countries. Gwadar also has a significant hinterland inside Pakistan, including both industrial and mining areas. A comprehensive master plan for the port development is now being drawn up and is expected to be ready by May. Proposals for additional infrastructure projects, including the upgrading of the local airport, development of rail links, building of new roads and creation of special economic zones, are being developed by the respective government ministries. The additional facilities that are being considered for the plan include a 74 ha export processing zone located on land adjacent to the port in East Bay, a special industrial zone of about 4,000 ha to the north of the town and an oil refinery situated to the northeast of the town, linked to the proposed oil terminal by an underground pipeline across East Bay. A 700 km coastal highway linking Gwadar and Karachi is also said to be at an advanced stage of implementation, while the building of a rail link is planned to connect Gwadar to Quetta and Zahidan. |