Essar Port commissions terminal at Paradeep

Essar Ports Ltd has commissioned its 16-million-tonne (mt) dry bulk terminal at Orissa’s Paradip Port, which will handle iron ore, mainly for its group company, Essar Steel, and dry bulk cargo for third party contracts.

The project involved the upgradation and mechanisation of the existing 230m long CQ3 berth at Paradip with installation of a fully mechanised ship-loading system with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per hour. This is an all-weather terminal with an ability to handle large size ships. Essar Ports has a licence to operate this terminal till 2020 with an option to extend the licence period by further five years. With this, the total capacity of Essar Ports has reached 104 mt per year. The company is expanding its capacities to 158 mt and is expected to reach that level by 2014-15. The terminal will be used to handle iron ore pellets of Essar Steel. This business is going to grow further as the steel arm of Essar Group has only commissioned a 6 million tonne per annum pellet plant at the moment.

The company is in advance stages of construction of the second phase of the 6-mt capacity, taking the total pellet capacity to 12 million tonne.

Tentuligumma hydro electric project planned in Koraput

Sileru Power Generation Pvt Ltd is planning to develop a small hydro power project in Tentuligumma village, in Koraput district.

The project with capacity of 2×12.5 MW will involve an estimated investment of Rs 89.43 crore. The company has invited bids for implementation of Package-I of the project. The package -I involves civil and hydro mechanical works for construction of Shaheed Lakhan Nayak Small Hydro Electric Scheme on river Kolab near Tentuligumma village.

The project is expected to be completed in period of 24 months from zero date. The last date for submission of bid is 17 January 2013.

Acme to set up Solar project in Odisha

ACME Bikaner Solar Power will set up a solar project in Odisha.

The company has emerged as a winner for setting up 25 MW solar PV programme of the Odisha Government. The company is likely to invest Rs 200 crore in setting up the project. Other bidders who bid for the project include, Welspun Renewable and Essel Mining and Industries.

Currently, ACME has set up 15 MW solar power project in Gujarat (commissioned), 2.5 MW Solar Thermal in Rajasthan (commissioned) and 25 MW Solar PV in Madhya Pradesh which is under installation.

Tourism Dept. plans aquarium in Puri

The Department of Tourism, Orissa is planning to set up an aquarium project in Puri on PPP basis.

The department has, thus invited bids from potential developers for setting up the project. The bids in form of (Request for Proposals) RFPs have been invited for development of public aquarium on DBFOT basis at Puri – Konark Marine Drive in Orissa on PPP mode. The project is likely to spread over 20 acre with an operational period of 50 years. The last date for submission of RPFs is 29 January 2013.

Action group to ramp up capacity of Orissa plant

Footwear major Action group is likely to infuse around Rs 3,000 crore in next three years to scale up its steel and power business.

The company is planning to increase its steel capacity from 0.3 million tpa to 1.5 million tpa in Jharsuguda, Orissa over next three years. This is subject to getting environmental clearances for additional production beyond one million tonne. This expansion will entail an additional investment of Rs 3,000 crore. The company already pumped in around Rs 1,400 crore in the Orissa plant for which the work is going on. The environmental clearances for the initial capacity has already been in place, and it expects the clearances by June 2013 for the additional capacity.

The company also plans to ramp up its captive power capacity from the initial planned 95 MW to 125 MW by January 2013.