Machilipatnam Port
Machilipatnam Port is a proposed deep sea port on the coast of Bay of Bengal. It is located at Machilipatnam, the District Headquarters of Krishna district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Although Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation for the port in 2008, no significant efforts have been made after his demise in 2009.
Andhra Pradesh ex-Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu started the construction of the port, and the pylon was inaugurated on 7 February 2019.
The port was originally expected to begin its operations by 2021. Navayuga Engineering Company Limited bagged the project to develop the port on a build-own-operate-transfer basis. The concession agreement was signed on 7 June 2010 and the port is proposed to be developed in the land to an extent of Ac.4,800.Port Conservancy powers vested with M/s Machilipatnam Port Ltd.
After the YSR Congress party came into power in Andhra Pradesh state in 2019, the project was handed to RITES and was asked to submit a DPR for the same by December 2019. The works were expected to begin by 2020.
This port is well connected by road and rail. Vijayawada International Airport is available at Gannavaram, which is about 50 km from Machilipatnam and 20 km from Vijayawada and has a good potential for handling coal requirements of Vijayawada Thermal Power Plant 10 mtspa and also requirements of other cement plants spread over in the Krishna belt and iron ore at Bayyavaram and Baryte deposits in Khammam District.
There is a proposal to develop a mega thermal power plant near Machilipatnam during 11th Five Year Plan. It is proposed to construct of 2 Nos. General cargo berth and 1 OSV berth in Phase 1 Depth of the Channel: 12.80 Mt with ship handled capacity is 65000 DWT and port anticipated handling capacity is 17 million tons.History
During the 18th century, the port was a trading base for the European traders.
