Iran’s Chabahar port development to be Accelerated
THE development of the Iranian port of Chabahar - the country’s only port with direct access to the Indian Ocean - looks set to gather pace with the developer seeking proposals.
According to MANA, India Ports Global Private Ltd issued requests for proposals for four lots of cargo/container handling equipment including the design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing, commissioning and guaranteeing their performance for the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar.
Interested bidders have until February 15 to submit their proposals.
India Ports Global is a joint venture of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and the Kandla Port Trust set up by India to handle the port related development work in Iran, and Arya Banader Iranian Corporation, which manages the Chabahar port operation.
Located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Oman and ahead of the Strait of Hormuz, Chabahar has been touted as Iran’s eastern gateway to serve the markets of Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani revived the plans to develop Chabahar port last year. The project was first proposed in 2003 but abandoned following the tightening of Western sanctions against Iran.
Under the agreed contract, two terminals and five multi-cargo berths will be built in phase one. India Ports Global will invest $85m to develop two container berths with a total length of 640 m and three multi-cargo berths.
Chabahar is a potential rival to the China-funded Gwadar port in Pakistan. Gwadar port, some 100 km east of Chabahar, is part of China’s $46bn plan to develop the China-Pakistan economic corridor, aimed at opening new trade and transportation routes across Asia.