Payra port ready for large ships after dredging at Rabnabad channel

Payra Sea Port is now equipped to handle large ships as the Belgian company Jan de Nul has handed over the control of the Rabnabad channel, the deepest channel in the southwestern coastal areas, to the Payra Port Authority on Sunday after completing capital dredging works.

The 75-kilometre channel, with a draft of 10.5 metres, can now accommodate ships carrying up to 40,000 tonnes during low tide and up to 55,000 tonnes during high tide.

People concerned said that the port is bringing hope to businesses by reducing transportation costs.

Shah Abdul Moula, plant manager at the Payra 1320 MW Thermal Power Plant, which is located near Payra port, stated that the channel will now enable the authorities to bring large coal-carrying ships to the plant's jetty, eliminating the need to anchor in the outer anchorage of Chattogram port as they had done previously.

"Currently, we receive ships with a capacity of carrying 30,000 tonnes at Chattogram and anchor them there. We then use small ships as lighterage for unloading the coal. 

However, with the new channel, we will be able to bring ships carrying 30,000 tonnes of coal directly to Payra port," he said.

Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail, chairman of Payra Port Authority, said on Sunday during a briefing with local media in Patuakhali that both local and international investors have been expressing interest in the port and exploring opportunities for investment.

The port authorities are now preparing the first terminal of the port, which is scheduled to be inaugurated by the prime minister next May.

"When the terminal begins operating, both export and import activities will increase significantly through it," added Admiral Mohammad Sohail.

He noted that Payra port is now the deepest port in the country, capable of accommodating Panamax-type large ships with a length of 225 metres and a width of 32 metres.

Chattogram port, the busiest port in the country with a draft of 9.5 metres, can handle ships with a capacity of carrying up to 35,000 tonnes of goods. The outer anchorage of the port in Kutubdia, on the other hand, is capable of accommodating ships of up to 100,000 tonnes.

Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail also said that the tariff rate of Payra Sea Port is 20% to 30% lower than that of Chattogram and Mongla ports.

Md Atiqul Islam, director (traffic) at Payra Port Authority, said that Payra port will reduce transit time for goods to Dhaka by five to six hours when compared to Chattogram and Mongla ports.

The Belgian company Jan de Nul carried out the Tk6,500 crore capital dredging project, which was financed by the government through the newly-formed Bangladesh Infrastructure Fund.

Following the completion of the capital dredging, Jan de Nul will be responsible for maintaining the navigability of the channel until 2024.

Port officials said Payra Port Authority is planning to acquire its own dredgers and gradually assume responsibility for maintenance dredging.