JNPT to spend $1.7 billion on upgrades

JNPT to spend $1.7 billion on upgrades An official from India’s biggest container port said last week it will spend $1.7 billion in the next six years to expand capacity.
   At a press conference in Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Chairman S.S. Hussain said the money will go toward three main projects:
   ' Adding a fourth container terminal, which the JNPT board recently approved.
   ' Dredging a channel to allow fully laden post-Panamax ships to berth at the port.
   ' Purchasing additional container cranes at the port’s existing three terminals.
   About $250 million will be spent on the dredging, allowing for 9,000 TEU ships to call. Currently, ships can only carry 2,500 TEUs into the port due to draft restrictions.
   The port handles the bulk of India’s container activity, which reached 7.5 million TEUs for the nation in the last fiscal year.