Matarbari Deep Sea Port channel handed over to CPA

Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) has handed over the jurisdiction, management and operations of Matarbari Deep Sea Port channel to Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) on Wednesday.

Abul Kalam Azad, Managing Director of CPGCBL formally handed over the facilities to Rear Admiral M Sohail, Chairman of CPA.

With the handing over the facilities, the CPA has attained the power of use, maintenance and authority of control.

The CPA will now realise the port dues, berth hire charge, piloting, tug charge, berthing, unberthing and other charges from the ships moved in the channel.

The CPGCBL had constructed the jetty 350m wide, 18m deep along with 14km long channel or inlet for handling of their machineries for construction of super critical power plant. The CPA provides all assistance including berthing of ships at the jetty of the power plant.

Coal is then unloaded from the ship through a conveyor belt using state-of-the-art technology. Coal discharge from a mother vessel usually take at least four days.

According to the Chattogram Port, 125 ships have arrived at Matarbari jetty so far with cargo and coal for the coal power plant.

The income of the port by loading and unloading ships is increasing day by day. The construction of the jetty started in August 2015 to bring the machinery of the power plant. Two jetties, 350m wide, 18m deep along with 14km long channel or inlet were constructed.

A breakwater has been constructed which is 2,150m long on the northern side and 670m long on the southern side of the channel.

The Matarbari Deep Sea Port Development Project is being implemented with the financing of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The CPA completed the process of acquiring 1,225 acres of land for construction of the port at Moheshkhali.

In the first phase, a total of 283 acres of land were acquired. A coal jetty, a storage yard and an ash pond will be built .The JICA agreed to finance the project with the investment of more than 500 million US dollars.

At the port, mother vessels with more than 16-metre draft will be able to berth. Currently at the Chattogram Port jetties, the vessels with 10 metre draft can take berth. The container vessel with only 2800 TEUs of container can berth at the CPA jetties.

At the deep-sea port, the vessels carrying more than 8000 TEUs of container will be able to berth. Already the construction of a 14.3km long, 350m wide and 18.5m deep channel for the port is completed.