Paradip Port Trust is planning to float tenders for construction of a new berth for iron ore exports and another one for coking coal imports on BOT basis at a cost of INR 900 crores to be completed in 2 to 3 years to increase PPT’s capacity by 20 million tonnes.

Mr K Raghuramaiah chairman of PPT while addressing members of the Federation of India Export Organization said that the financial burden on the port would be much less because of the PPP route to be followed adding that the tenders will not be global tenders.

Mr Raghuramaiah informed that the port's traffic volume of 27.93 million tonnes has been achieved during April to December period and would touch the level of 38 million tonnes in 2006-07 as compared to 33 million tonnes in 2005-06, with iron ore and coal accounting for about 12 million tonnes. He added that the traffic was projected to increase to 48 million tonnes in 2007-08 with the bulk of the increase coming from crude segment.