KARACHI, Sept 11: Five leading international and one Pakistani terminal operator companies have shown keen interest in Pakistan Deep Water Container Port being constructed by the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) at Keamari Groyne area.

The KPT had invited Expressions of Interest (EoIs) last month for operating and managing the first terminal consisting of four berths at the Pakistan Deep Water Container Port with 18-metre draft.

However, the date for submitting EoIs has been extended on the demand of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) to September 19, 2006.

Sources said so far the six companies had shown keen interest in the first phase of the terminal comprising four berths with 1,500-metre long quay wall.

PSA International, Singapore; Hutchison Port Holding, Hong Kong; A P Moller-Maersk Group Company; Dubai Ports World; International Container Terminal Services, Philippines; and Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) have shown interest in the first phase of the terminal to be built on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis at a cost of $550 million, sources said.

According to technical details contained in bid documents the successful bidder will build and equip the 65-hectare backup area as a high throughput terminal, including container yards, storage and transfer areas, operational buildings, STS cranes, RTGs and all supporting equipment and facilities to handle a minimum of 1.5 million TEUs per annum.

The terminal will be capable of receiving and handling Super Post-Panamax container ships with a total capacity up to 14,000 boxes.

However, the 1,500-metre long quay wall, together with the navigable approach channel, 700-metre wide harbour basin, navigational aids and the protection works will be constructed by the KPT.

The lease of the terminal will be for an initial period of 25 years extendable for another 25 years, on mutually agreed terms and conditions.

The technical document further says that the concession holder will be required to develop the site into a full-fledged state-of-the-art container terminal.

Sources said that the KPT would be investing around $350 million and the private sector operator $200 million towards the first phase under which four berths would be completed.The terminal will start operations from June 2009, with second phase taking total number of berths to 10 will start functioning by 2012, sources added.

This terminal will be first on the map of world ports to have 18-metre draft and could bring in far reaching changes in the region where presently a number of ports are already operating as hub ports.