New box terminal at Kattupalli near Chennai for 2012

ENGINEERING firm Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) plans to develop a container terminal and shipyard at Kattupalli at Ennore near Chennai by January 2012.

The container terminal will have an initial capacity to handle one million TEU annually, which can be increased to 1.5 million TEU.

"L&T has decided to adopt the operation and maintenance (O&M) model for selecting a firm to run the container terminal," said K Venkatesh, executive vice-president, Developmental Projects according to the UK's Dredging Today.

L&T will construct the berth and install all the necessary equipment at the container terminal and the O&M contractor will run the facility for a fee. Discussions are under way with experts for selecting an O&M operator, Mr Venkatesh said.

The O&M model will allow L&T to retain 100 per cent equity in the project.
(Source:www.schednet.com)