Kandla Port Prepares For Major Expansion With Green Cargo Terminal & Shipbuilding Hub

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced in January an investment of ₹57,000 crore has been earmarked to enhance Kandla Port’s capacity. This includes ₹30,000 crore for a mega shipbuilding project and another ₹27,000 crore for developing new cargo terminals outside the creek area. These developments are expected to significantly boost the port’s capacity.

As part of the plan, the shipbuilding complex will be equipped to build Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or similar ships with a capacity of 3.2 lakh DWT (Deadweight Tonnage). The facility will have the capacity to construct 32 ships and repair 50 annually. Spread over 8,000 acres, the project will include a marina, fishing harbor, a marine industrial cluster and a township to support the ecosystem.

Another major development is underway outside the Tuna creek—an advanced dry bulk cargo port,designed to reduce dredging needs and enable large vessels to dock more easily.

According to Sushilkumar Singh, Chairman of the Kandla Deendayal Port Authority (KDPA), the goal is to position Kandla as a global center for shipbuilding, green fuels and maritime services.

The vision is already taking shape. Larsen &Toubro recently delivered India’s first indigenously builtelectrolyzer for green hydrogen at a 1 MW plant in Kandla. Its capacity is expected to be scaled up to 10 MW in future. Three new oil jetties, with a combined 10 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity, are also in the pipeline. The best part is that even the private players are showing interest. Recently, Pune- based Accurate Industrial Controls Pvt. Ltd., with support from Korean Maritime Consultants Company Ltd., submitted a proposal for a 2,000-acre shipbuilding cluster in the region.

Greenfield Airport To Support Port Operations:

To complement the port’s growing infrastructure, a new greenfield airport is also in the works. For this, land acquisition of around 1,000 acres is currently underway. The estimated cost? Around ₹3,000 crore.

According to Mr Singh, the port authority cannot transfer land ownership. It can lease it for 60 years. Once the land gets identified, Ministry of Civil Aviation will be informed. Meanwhile, talks are underway with the Authority of India, and local industry bodies like the Federation of Kutch Industries Association are actively pushing to fast-track approvals.