"VOC Port Seeks Bids for ₹9,860 Crore Outer Harbour Development Including Breakwater, Dredging, and Reclamation on HAM Basis"

With Tamil Nadu heading for assembly elections in March-April next year, the Centre-owned V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority has revived plans to develop a mega container terminal in its outer harbour. The port has issued a tender for the construction of a breakwater, capital dredging, and reclamation for a backup yard under the Public-Private Partnership Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) at an estimated cost of ₹9,859.45 crore.

The tender, floated recently, comes nearly two years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the outer harbour container terminal project at the Thoothukudi-based port on February 28, 2024. The project had originally received Cabinet approval for ₹7,055.95 crore.

However, the VOC Port Authority failed to attract bidders in two previous rounds of auctions over 20 months, causing significant embarrassment for the Modi government and delaying the project.