Ahmedabad, Sep 11 (IANS): Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) on Wednesday announced it will develop a multi-purpose berth at Kandla Port in Gujarat.

The Berth No 13 at Deendayal Port in Kandla will handle multipurpose cargo and is expected to be commissioned in FY27, India’s largest port developer-cum-operator said in a statement.

"Berth No 13 will diversify our presence at Deendayal Port. We will now handle multipurpose clean cargo at the port, in addition to dry bulk cargo that we already handle," said Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO, APSEZ.

Berth No 13 is 300-metre long and offers 5.7 MMT (million metric tonnes) capacity annually.

"The berth will further consolidate our position on the western coast and enhance our ability to service customers in Gujarat and north India," Gupta added.

Adani Ports has incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, DPA Container and Clean Cargo Terminal Ltd (DPACCCTL), that will carry out operations at the berth.

In July, Adani Ports had received the letter of intent (LOI) for the development, operation and maintenance of the berth for a 30-year concession period. The company said it will develop the berth under the DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer) model for multipurpose clean cargo, including container cargo.

Adani Ports recently announced it would acquire an 80 per cent stake in global offshore support vessel operator Astro Offshore for $185 million in an all-cash deal. Astro will enhance Adani Ports’ global marine portfolio and help add new Tier-1 customers. The transaction, implying an enterprise value of $235 million, is expected to be value accretive from the first year itself, said the flagship company of the Adani Group.

Adani Ports is the largest port developer and operator in India with seven strategically located ports and terminals on the west coast and eight ports and terminals on the east coast.