APSEZ signs Kandla Berth 13 concession, FY27 launch

Deal signed with Deendayal Port Authority

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has signed a concession agreement with Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) to develop Berth No. 13 at Deendayal Port in Kandla, Gujarat. The agreement formalises APSEZ’s role in developing, operating and maintaining the berth under a long-term arrangement. The company had earlier received a Letter of Intent (LOI) in July 2024 for the same project. The concession period is for 30 years, as stated in the details shared around the award.

The project matters because Deendayal Port is a key gateway on India’s western coast, and Berth No. 13 is planned as a multipurpose clean cargo facility. APSEZ is India’s largest port developer-cum-operator, and the Kandla addition increases its operational footprint at major ports under public-private partnership structures.

Subsidiary formed for berth operations

APSEZ has incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary called DPA Container and Clean Cargo Terminal Limited (DPACCCTL). This entity will carry out operations at Berth No. 13. Setting up a dedicated subsidiary typically helps ring-fence project execution and aligns operations with the terms of the concession. In this case, the article notes DPACCCTL will be responsible for the berth’s operations.

The arrangement links the contractual concession with a project-specific operator, which is common in port concession frameworks. It also provides a clear vehicle for dealing with port authority interfaces, operational readiness, and compliance requirements over the concession period.

DBFOT model and cargo mix

According to the details provided, APSEZ will develop the berth under the DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer) model. Under DBFOT, the concessionaire undertakes end-to-end responsibilities from building and financing to operating the asset, and later transfers it back under the concession terms.

Berth No. 13 is planned for multipurpose clean cargo, including container cargo. The reference to “clean cargo” indicates the berth is intended for cargo categories that are handled with higher standards of dust control and cleaner mechanised systems compared with some traditional bulk handling.

Berth specifications and commissioning timeline

The project details include clear operating specifications. Berth No. 13 will be 300 metres long. It is expected to offer 5.7 million metric tonnes (MMT) of capacity annually. The berth is likely to be commissioned in FY27.

The FY27 commissioning timeline places the berth’s operational start a few years after the July 2024 LOI and the September 2024 concession agreement. The timeline will be tracked by investors because commissioning is the point when cargo throughput and related revenues typically begin.

Paradip Port: APSEZ clears key hurdle for dry bulk berths

Separately, reports cited in the provided text say APSEZ emerged as the highest bidder for mechanisation and operation of two dry bulk cargo handling berths (CQ-1 and CQ-2) at the state-owned Paradip Port. The board of Paradip Port Authority cleared the highest royalty price bid placed by APSEZ to mechanise and operate the two berths for 30 years.

The royalty bid quoted by APSEZ was ₹122.30 per tonne. A source cited in the text said the letter of award would be issued soon. The same report described this as the highest royalty quoted by APSEZ to win a project at a major port, and noted that APSEZ bid aggressively.

Paradip project size, assets, and competing bids

The Paradip project is designed for an annual handling capacity of around 18 million tonnes. The estimated investment is ₹981.96 crore (also referred to as ₹982 crore in another snippet). The berths have a combined berth length of 485 metres, water depth of 15 metres, and a storage area of 4,00,000 square metres.

The text also lists competing bids. Essar Ports Ltd quoted ₹119.50 per metric tonne, Jindal Steel Ltd quoted ₹117 per MT, and a Bothra Shipping Services Ltd-Kakinada Seaports Ltd-Ripley & Co Stevedoring & Handling Pvt Ltd consortium quoted ₹115.10 per MT. The berths will be mechanised as a common-user public-private partnership (PPP) facility for handling dry bulk cargo, supporting commodities such as coal, minerals and other dry bulk cargoes.

Haldia berth award: mechanisation and capacity details

Another project referenced is at Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), where Kolkata port authorities handed over the letter of award to APSEZ for mechanisation and upgradation of a berth. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), formerly the Kolkata Port Trust, said the project would incorporate environment friendly, fully mechanised technology for handling dry bulk cargo.

The berth identified in the text is Berth No. 2. It will offer a capacity of 3.744 million metric tons per annum. The investment is stated to be about ₹298.26 crore. The project is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of FY 2024-25. APSEZ reportedly outbid Ripley & Co by quoting a royalty of ₹75 per tonne.

Timeline and key factual snapshot

The updates span multiple ports and time periods, from a signed concession at Kandla to bids and awards at Paradip and Haldia.

Legal context referenced in tender history

The provided text also references a separate Paradip tender where Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) won a contract to build a 25-million-tonne capacity deep draught dry bulk cargo terminal at the Western Dock in Odisha with an investment of ₹2,392.13 crore. In that instance, the text states APSEZ did not submit a price quotation when bids were opened and that it was appealing its disqualification from port contracts in multiple courts, including the Odisha High Court.

A government source quoted in the text said the Odisha High Court instructed the Paradip Port Authority to accept APSEZ’s price bid. The same section notes Paradip Port Authority disqualified APSEZ from a tender on March 10, following a ruling from a single-judge bench of the Andhra High Court that upheld Visakhapatnam Port Authority’s decision to exclude APSEZ from a tender.

Why these projects matter for APSEZ and major ports

Taken together, the Kandla concession and the referenced Paradip and Haldia updates indicate APSEZ’s continued participation in major-port projects that use long-duration concessions and PPP structures. The Kandla berth adds multipurpose clean cargo and container capability with defined length and annual capacity, while the Paradip and Haldia projects focus on mechanised dry bulk handling.

For investors tracking APSEZ, the key monitorables in the text are the concession duration (30 years across projects), commissioning and commencement timelines (FY27 at Kandla; Q4 FY 2024-25 commencement at Haldia), and the competitiveness of royalty bids at Paradip. Any subsequent letters of award and milestone announcements will provide more clarity on execution sequencing across ports.

Conclusion

APSEZ has signed a 30-year concession with Deendayal Port Authority to develop Berth No. 13 at Kandla under the DBFOT model through its wholly owned subsidiary DPACCCTL, with commissioning likely in FY27. Separately, the company has been reported as the highest bidder for mechanisation and operation of dry bulk berths at Paradip Port and has received an award at Haldia Dock Complex for a mechanised dry bulk berth. The next formal steps to watch, based on the provided text, are project commencements and the issuance of pending letters of award where indicated.