Dahej, Indias first specialised chemical port is a gateway to industrial prosperity and business development in India. Dahej provides dynamic storage terminal for cargo handling and storing liquid and gaseous chemicals, petrochemicals, and petroleum products. Its strategic location to industrial intensive cities of Gujarat cuts down on vital cargo delivery time and transport costs.

Boosted by the decision to identify Dahej as a SEZ, with a potential investment of Rs1000 crores, Dahej is making its presence as a major industrial hub of near future. Many blue chip companies have already shown faith by way of setting base in Dahej. The presence of petroleum and chemical majors ushers in ancillary business and support services from small industries. Dahej is a 1700-hectare goldmine of opportunity for the enterprising Indian.

Located in Bharuch district, Gujarat in the Gulf of Khambhat (Cambay) on the west coast of India Dahej Port gives the leverage of pleasing proximity to the production facilities of oil, petroleum products & chemicals, and the vast hinterland spanning entire Western, Northern & Central India. Its proximity to industrial intensive cities of Vadodara,Bharuch, Ankleshwar and Surat can result into substantial savings on in-land transportation.

It is also closer to the major sea routes resulting in less deviation for international carriers The Port is capable of handling ships of 6,000 DWT to 60,000 DWT and the storage terminal has initial capacity of more then 3 hundred thousand cubic meters of hazardous liquid & gaseous chemicals falling in A, B, and General classes.

Eco-aware

All industries in Dahej affirm to the pollution and Environmental conversation norms prescribed by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) etc. Dahej is a designated green area where tree cover is developed over a large area of 37 hectares by planting about 100,000 trees of 60 various species. Treated waste water from the Common effluent treatment plant irrigates the greenery in the region.

Guruprasad Mohapatra (IAS) managing Director GACL declares their Dahej complex to have incorporated all manufacturing and technological set up superior than the statuary norms. Most products produced at the plants have an internal use and are beneficial to the local villages. GACL has commissioned 23 windmills to generate 40Mw electricity, a move that shall help the company generate carbon credits.

GACL is expanding its operations at Dahej with an aggressive investment of 2500 crore that shall see expansion on Caustic soda production, increasing capacity of Hydrogen peroxide plant, production of hydrogen and poly oils and joint ventures on international chemical measures to develop existing turnover by 2010.

Energy on shore

Petronet LNG Ltd, one of the fastest growing, world class companies in the Indian energy sector, has set up the countrys first LNG receiving and regasification terminal at Dahej and is in the process of building another terminal at Kochi, Kerala. The Dahej terminal has a nominal capacity of 5 million metric tones per annum (MMTPA) (equivalent to 20 million standard cubic meters per day (MMSCMD) of natural gas). P Dasgupta, CEO & MD, Petronet LNG has informed that the companys Dahej facility will be up and running by July 2008.

The total volume will be 10 million by December 2008, he added. The terminal is now supplying gas to the offtakers of LNG. The facilities completed include 2.4 km long jetty, unloading platform at Jetty head with unloading arms, 2 LNG tanks of 160,000 m3 gas storage capacity , vaporisers (Shell & Tube vaporizers and Submerged Combustion Vaporisers) , Boil off compressor and recondenser , send out facilities for gas and metering , Power generation and switch guard , fire fighting & safety, truck loading facility etc. Petronet has formed a 50% JV to execute a Solid Cargo Terminal in north of the existing LNG jetty in Dahej handling 18 MMTPA of cargo/year.

New Frontiers

ABG Shipyard, the largest private sector shipbuilding yard in India, is ready for commission on its new shipyard at Dahej The proposed facility would have two large dry docks admeasuring 400 metre length, 45 metre breadth and 10 metre in depth, fabrication, assembly sheds and administrative offices. The greenfield shipyard shall be constructed at a cost of 440 crores .The yard, which will be fully operational by December 2008, will increase ABGs manufacturing capacity to 12 ships of 1,20,000 DWT simultaneously from 20,000 DWT currently and shipbuilding length up to 400 metres from the current 220 metres.

This would enable ABG to improve its margins going ahead as vessels with higher capacity command better margins. To capitalise on the surging demand for oil rigs globally, the company is also setting up a new rig yard at Dahej at a cost of Rs 670 cr for building jack-up oil rigs. The rig yard will have a capacity of building four rigs a year and will be fully operational by 2009. This will mark the entry of the company in the rapidly-growing rig building space.