The Visakhapatnam Port has a vast hinterland and is surrounded by many major industries such as M/s. RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant(VSP), SAIL, NTPC, NALCO, NMDC, MMTC, Hindustan Shipyard, Coromandel Fertilizers, RCL, HPCL etc. The port has been serving the major sectors like steel, power, mining, petroleum and fertilizers. The Visakhapatnam Port is bordered by numerous significant enterprises, including M/s. RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), SAIL, NTPC, NALCO, NMDC, MMTC, Hindustan Shipyard, Coromandel Fertilisers, RCL, HPCL, and others. The port has historically served significant industries such as steel, electricity, mining, petroleum, and fertilisers.
The Port has achieved self-sufficiency in energy generation by constructing a 10 MW utility size Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant with an annual power generation capacity of around 178 lakh units. A 190 KW solar power plant was installed on the rooftop of Golden Jubilee Hospital and adjacent operating structures. Another 20 MW of solar power generation is planned for fiscal years 2023-24. The modernization and upgrading of the fishing harbour at Visakhapatnam port is being undertaken under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with a 150 crore investment, and the works are now underway and are expected to be finished by November 2024.
With a quay length of 845 metres and a natural depth of 16 metres, Visakha Container Terminal (VCT) is an ideal gateway for container traffic from all over the nation. The container terminal at VPA has performed admirably, growing by 38%. Two new container ships, PA Maritime and SITC, have begun operations from this station. VCT is progressively becoming as a regional transhipment centre in the Bay of Bengal, with containers arriving from Kolkata, Haldia, Paradip, Kakinada, Chittagong, and Yangon.
The Vizag International Cruise Terminal has great potential for growing cruise tourism. The State Tourism Ministry is promoting water sports tourism. The port's cargo volumes increased by 3%, turnaround time (TRT) decreased by 17%, pre-berthing detention decreased by 67%, output per ship berth day (OSBD) increased by 15%, and idle time at berth decreased by 4%. The truck parking facility, which boasts world-class facilities for parking 666 vehicles, is already functioning. A covered storage shed capable of holding 84,000 tonnes of bulk cargo is now operating, and a storage shed capable of holding 1 lakh tonnes will be completed by November 2023.
VPA has granted mechanisation of three (EQ7,WQ 7&8) under PPP as part of modernization with an investment of 655 crore. Two additional PPP contracts worth Rs 600 crore will be awarded by December of this year. VPA has signed an MoU with M/s HPCL, Visakhapatnam, for the establishment of a green hydrogen plant at VPA at an estimated cost of Rs 800 crore, as well as a CNG Bunkering Station with M/s IOC. Additional Oil Jetty OR-3, together with OR-1 and OR-2, will be completed by October 2024 at an estimated cost of 168 crore, with an additional capacity of 5.25 MTPA, and is being constructed on an EPC basis by Port. With all of these growth operations and smart, sustainable infrastructure upgrades, the port aspires to become a land lord port by 2030.
