By IANS,
Chennai : The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) import-export facilities at Ennore Port near here will save time and money in transporting the fuel, Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan said here Wednesday.
“This an important project for Tamil Nadu and South India which was completed in a record time of 18 months against the normal time of three years,” Vasan said inaugurating the LPG handling and storage facilities created by Ennore Tank Terminals at the port.
He said the LPG demand in Tamil Nadu is 132,000 tonnes per month whereas the production in the state by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is only 32,000 tonnes per month.
The remaining LPG demand is met through imports from abroad. The cargo lands at ports in Mangalore or in Vishakapatnam and is brought to Tamil Nadu by road. The new facilities will help in cutting transport time and cost.
He also said the dredging work at Ennore Port to handle larger vessels is under progress and will be completed by March 2013.
“The cargo handling facilities in the port are being developed mainly through private sector participation. This business model enables the Ennore Port to focus on port related infrastructure development in a timely manner,” Vasan said.
A.M. Rao, managing director, Ennore Tank Terminals, said the company is a special purpose vehicle and has set up necessary infrastructure like jetty and terminals to handle petroleum and chemical products.