Another minor port to come up in Cuddalore district.

The Tamil Nadu Government has revived plans to develop a minor port at Silambimangalam in Cuddalore district to meet future logistics demand of cement, sugar and textile industries in the region.

Silambimangalam port has a huge potential as this region has been declared as a Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region by the Centre. Thermal power plants based on imported coal are also coming up in the area, according to Government sources.

The existing Cuddalore minor port, which is around 25 km north off Silambimangalam, cannot be expanded due to draft restriction. Approach to the port is also a challenge, sources said.

The State Government had earlier planned a shipyard-cum-minor port at Silambimangalam. However, the project did not take off.

At Silambimangalam, there is a natural depth of 10 m available at one nautical mile from the shore. With another 5 metres of dredging, the port can handle Panamax size vessels. Silambimangalam minor port falls between Annapanpettai village in the north and Pudukuppam village in the south. On the northern side, Nagarjuna Oil Corporation is developing the Thiruchopuram port and on the southern side IL&FS is developing a captive port Parangipettai with a thermal power plant, sources said. Tamil Nadu has the second longest coastline of 1,076 km with 22 minor ports out of which seven are government ports and 15 are captives.

Says J Krishnan, Chairman, Logistics Committee of Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Silambimangalam is an ideal location to have a minor port. Liquid cargoes and possible CNG from Cauvery delta will ensure base cargoes and other commodities will add to the throughput.


HBL