After several delays and false starts, construction work at one of India’s first international container trans-shipment hub and deepwater port, set to come up at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram, is finally expected to commence by early 2009. The $1.3-billion project, slated to come up on the public private partnership route, has already witnessed interest from over 30 domestic and international port players, even as more companies are expected to jump into the fray over the next month.

“The deadline for receiving bids for the Vizhinjam port project has been extended by another 45 days to December 15, and already we have received interest from over 30 players,” said L Radhakrishnan, secretary to government (ports), chief executive officer and director of Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd— the nodal agency executing the project. “The bids will be evaluated by the year-end, and another year will be required to achieve technical and financial closure, after which the project work can begin.”

The players that have purchased bid documents for the project include foreign giants like Maersk and the Singapore Port Authority, while domestic heavyweights like Reliance and Larsen and Toubro (L&T) among others, are learnt to have evinced interest as well. This is the second time that bids have been called for the project. Last year, merely two bids were received and the Chinese consortium granted the tender by the state government was rejected by the Centre for want of adequate security clearance, making the project a non-starter.

With the bid process seemingly on track and no further delays expected, Radhakrishnan said the Vizhinjam port is likely to commence operations commercially by 2012. “The project is on track and we expect the first phase to be completed in 26 months,” he said.

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