Harnessing the potential

Sneha Gurjar

Director, CEM Engineers

India has a 7,500 km long coastline, running from the west coast to the east coast via the south. Surrounded by seas, India has always had significant routes of trade and tourism along its shores. Due to its geographic location making trade easier worldwide, ports have been an integral part of Indian history. Today, ports handle 95% of India's external trade by volume and 70% by value. Cargo traffic handled by India's major ports reached 406.98 MT in FY22, up 14.59% from last year, pointing at a growing national economy from the sector.

Development initiatives

With an objective to accelerate economic development by harnessing the potential of India's coastline and river network, efforts are now being made to modernise and develop port-led transportation infrastructure. The Government of India is working on the Maritime India Vision 2030 by investing Rs 1.2 lakh crore in port infrastructure. Considering the importance of efficient and smooth-running ports for the national economy, there is a growing emphasis on innovations in existing port infrastructure and design.

Capital-intensive port infrastructure projects are based on financial and economic evaluations over a setup of traffic forecasts. The feasibility study typically includes technical investigations, traffic analyses, financial analyses and environmental impact assessments. Ports are also optimised based on evaluations of local conditions, including soil and hydraulics. In recent years, coastal protection and shoreline management have received increasing attention. New developments in coastal zones and more extreme variability in the oceanographic and meteorological conditions impact existing assets and set new demands. The constantly changing conditions of the ocean and atmosphere, coupled with new advancements in coastal areas, have a significant impact on current assets and necessitate the need for new requirements. Studying these conditions helps conclude the functional size of the port, its daily intake, storage capacity, cargo traffic and overall design. Design criteria are also evaluated based on statistical analyses of extreme weather events (wind, water level, currents and waves) and climate change. Complex problems are evaluated based on in-situ investigations and numerical modelling using state-of-the-art models. Additionally, the long-term impacts of coastal development are assessed by analysing hydrodynamic climate, wave agitation in ports, sediment processes, and particle dispersion in oceans, rivers, and estuaries.

Prevailing trends

Ports are an extremely volatile and fast-growing sector. They continually develop in response to changing cargo traffic patterns and climate, making continuous adaptations necessary. Although these factors dictate the infrastructure, multiple uncertainties need consideration while designing ports, such as rising water levels and geographical anomalies, the warming rate of the Indian Ocean being three times that of the Pacific Ocean, ups and downs in trade caused by natural disasters, political or socio-economic changes, and more. Apart from efficiency in storage and safety, ports today need a seamless flow of multiple modes of transport systems working cohesively to provide a robust and smooth transport system compliant with logistics and innovative technology. As vessels continue to grow in size, there is a need for more efficient and eco-friendly transportation methods. Since ports are long-lasting infrastructural assets, and there is constant change and innovation in technology, the port design must factor in these changes. Unfortunately, the current approaches to port planning, design, and evaluation do not consider these uncertainties, resulting in plans and designs for port infrastructures that prove inadequate under changing requirements. Therefore, today there is an inherent need for efficient and effective port infrastructure in India.

New approaches in port infra development

In order to address the uncertainties in the design brief, it is important to have the ability to extend quays and terminals as needed and to have infrastructure that can adapt to changes in the superstructure and equipment. To achieve this, design interventions such as spacious marine layouts, terminal areas with adequate depth and length, and longer quays will become more common in port infrastructure and design in the near future. The maritime industry is also incorporating modern technology, causing traditional container terminals to change in shape and texture. As a result, port planning is heavily influenced by developments in construction materials and technology, as well as increased globalisation, which provides access to worldwide best practices. The Maritime India Vision 2030 emphasises that efficient port infrastructure is crucial for national growth. It envisions that Indian ports must drive mechanisation and adoption of technology to improve productivity and establish ancillary services within the port premises to improve evacuation time, therefore, encouraging engineers and designers to be globally competitive.

Addressing the challenges

Today the biggest challenges faced by the country's ports are congestion, high ship turnaround times and limited hinterland linkages, which efficiently planned and well-designed ports can resolve. Lack of seamless connectivity across various logistics modes and complexity in procedures contribute to high variability in transit times, which in turn results in higher levels of inventory along the supply chain. Raw material often travels a large distance from coastal areas to the hinterland, and then finished products travel back from the hinterland to the coast for exports. The weighted average distance between the manufacturing hinterlands and the port for India is 700-800 km compared to 150-300 km in China. Even though India fares better than China in transportation costs for a comparable distance, the longer hinterland-to-port distance leads to higher costs for exporting/importing a container in India. All of these issues arise from disorganised and unplanned infrastructure. Smooth running, effective and high-functioning ports can improve time management and overall turnover, significantly affecting the trade and, by extension, the national economy.

Design solutions like optimised multi-modal transport systems, such as proximity to railways and roadways, and urban interventions, like locating industrial sectors near coastlines, can reduce transportation costs and transit times by facilitating smooth circulation and efficiency.

Looking ahead

India has a network of 12 major ports and 205 minor ports, making it the 16th largest marine industry in the world. This highlights the country's potential, considering large infrastructure projects such as ports directly affect the national economy and markets. To fully harness this potential, there is a need for comprehensive and holistic planning that addresses challenges and leverages opportunities for port-led development with a long-term vision. A port's efficiency and economic returns depend on its adaptability, life expectancy and efficiency, all achievable through strategic planning and mindful design interventions. With such foresight, regulatory and financial interventions and design clarity, Indian port infrastructure is ready to be revolutionised.

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