India’s Adani Group unit Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has opened the phase II expansion of Dhamra Port in Odisha.

The expansion is set to increase the port’s cargo handling capacity from the current 25 million tonnes per annum to over 100 million tonnes per year.

It was developed using the public-private partnership (PPP) model and required a workforce of more than 3,000 people.

Situated between Haldia in West Bengal and Paradip in Odisha, India, the port currently serves as a gateway to Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the entire Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

APSEZ CEO Karan Adani said: “This expansion will help us achieve our vision 2020 million metric tonnes (Mmt) of 200Mmt well ahead of time and we now aim to touch 500MMT by the year 2025.

“We acknowledge the support of government of Odisha, which enabled us to achieve this feat, which renews our conviction and commitment to make Adani Dhamra Port an island of excellence, not only for Odisha but also for India.”

APSEZ is primarily involved in the construction, operation and maintenance of port infrastructure.

It currently operates ports in the Indian cities of Mundra, Hazira, Tuna Tekra (Kandla), and Dahej in Gujarat; Dhamra in Odisha; Katupalli, and Ennore in Tamil Nadu.

It also operates specialised coal handling facilities at Mormugao in Goa and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, India.

The company is also set to establish a container transhipment hub at Vizinjham in Kerala.