7 Phase 1 Port Development

7.1 Introduction

The Phase 1 development (as shown in Drawing 0903/DPR/323) comprises of the port facilities
that are to be taken up for construction initially. The detailing of Phase 1 facilities, required based
on realisable traffic scenario, has been carried out in the following sections of the report.

However, the facilities may have to be reviewed and scaled down to firm traffic scenario, if
required, depending on the actual signing up of the user agreements and other financial
constraints. This decision can be taken before starting the construction.

7.2 Basic Data for Marine Layout

7.2.1 Design Traffic for the Phase 1 Development

The details of the traffic considered for this initial phase development are presented in Table 7.1
below:

Table 7.1: Traffic Forecast for Phase 1 Development

Traffic
Commodity
(MTPA)
EXPORT
Iron-ore 3.26
Steel/Pig iron 0.96
Food grains (Bags) 0.03
Aluminium 0.04
IMPORT
Alumina 0.54
Coking Coal 9.41
Thermal Coal 5.00
Metallurgical Coke 0.56
Limestone 0.60
Containerised cargo 0.02
TOTAL 20.42

7.2.2 Design Ship Sizes

The principal parameters of the design ships have been presented in Table 4.2 previously.

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7.2.3 Cargo Handling Rates

For planning purposes, based on the normal requirement for turn round time of ships for different
commodity and ship size, the average cargo handling rates considered, during the initial stages
of developments, presented in Table 5.1 previously. The details of handling equipment are
provided in the Section 9 of the present report.

7.2.4 Berth Requirements

Following berths will be provided in the Phase 1 development of the port:

Iron Ore - 1 Berth

Coking Coal/Thermal Coal/ Metallurgical Coke - 2 Berths
General Cargo and Other Dry Bulk - 2 Berths
Port Crafts (Future General Cargo) - 1 Berth

7.3 Mathematical Model Studies on Phase 1 Marine Layout

7.3.1 General

The mathematical model studies were conducted by L&T Ramboll on the marine layout of the
port. The starting point of the south breakwater is slightly different from that of the finally adopted
layout and also the dry bulk berths are contiguous to the south breakwater. However these have
no impact on the results of the model studies. The detailed report on the Model Studies is
presented in Volume V of this submission.

7.3.2 Wave Tranquility Studies

The wave diffraction patterns within the area protected by the breakwaters were simulated to
assess the wave conditions at the locations of various berths within the harbour using the BW
module of Mike 21 software. Simulations were carried out for Phase 1 marine layout as well for
the ultimate inner harbour development, with the typical details of the bathymetry as presented in
Figures 7.1 and 7.2 respectively.

7.3.2.1 Phase 1 Marine Layout

The simulations showed that for resultant waves from the southerly wave directions (SE, SSE
and S), the berths and the turning circle is well protected from the incident waves. However, for
waves from the three exposed directions, (ENE, E, ESE) the incident waves enter directly into
the harbour resulting in higher wave heights in the turning circle, which are still found to be within

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 the operational limits. Thus the simulations showed that for short period waves there would be
no operational downtime within the harbour in the Phase 1 Layout.

The wave height coefficients for the longer period swell obtained from the simulations show that
the downtime due to these waves at the various berths would be negligible.

7.3.2.2 Ultimate Inner Harbour

The wave crest pattern for resultant waves corresponding to ultimate inner harbour layout
indicate higher transmission of wave energy into the harbour due to the presence of deeper
water in the northern side of the harbour. However it is observed that this would not result in any
extra downtime than observed above (i.e. negligible) for the facilities proposed in Phase 1.

However it is observed that for 1.4m high waves from ENE and ESE the actual wave heights at
the berth locations 10, 11 and 13, would be slightly higher than the operational limits for the
general cargo berths. This would however cause only minimal downtime of the order of about
2%, which is again subject to the actual facilities proposed at that stage of development.

The wave crest pattern, for swells show that penetration is maximum for swell waves from the
ESE, with the deep water waves reaching the general purpose berths 10 and 11 directly.
However, the annual wave height exceedence (Hs < 1m) for swell from this direction is less than
1 day per year, indicating that these waves will not contribute significantly to wave downtime in
the harbour. For swells from the rest of the directions the coefficient is less than 0.6, indicating
that there would be no downtime due to waves from the rest of the directions.

7.3.2.3 Extreme Wave conditions

Nearshore wave simulations were also carried out for extreme waves corresponding to 50 and
100 year return periods from SE, E with the proposed layout of the harbour to arrive at the
design wave heights for the design of marine structures.

7.3.3 Sedimentation Studies

7.3.3.1 Littoral Drift Along the Coast

The computations carried out showed that the longshore sediment transport is the highest along
the beaches to the south of the proposed Gangavaram Port, while they are the lowest along
Yarada beach to the north of the proposed port.

The northward moving sediment caused by southerly waves is much higher than the south ward
transport at all stretches of the coast. The annual northward and southward transports in the

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 vicinity of the proposed Gangavaram port are 1.07 and 0.15 million m3 respectively. The net
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longshore transport is directed towards north and is of the order of 0.9 million m /year.

7.3.3.2 Sedimentation in the Sand Trap

The longshore sediment transport and Initial rates of erosion and deposition were simulated
using the sand transport module of MIKE 21. These simulations for the greenfield situation
without the proposed port layout, showed that for waves from the southerly directions sediment
moving along the shore passes the headland at Mareka Metta and is deflected offshore while for
the other two directions (SSE, SSW) it moves towards the Gangavaram Lagoon area.

The simulations with the proposed layout of Gangavaram port did not show any significant
change in the erosion deposition pattern in the shoreline to the north of the proposed port, i.e.
from Yarada to Visakhapatnam. The presence of a longshore current along the southern
breakwater indicates that sediments would be transported along the breakwater towards the
entrance channel.

In the case of Gangavaram, the northward moving transport to the south of the proposed South
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breakwater close to Mareka Metta is estimated to be 1.0 million m /year. It is inferred from the
results of the sand transport simulations that the sedimentation in the proposed sand trap would
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be about 0.5 to 0.6 million m /year. The rest of the sediment would be deposited in the beaches
on the lee of Mareka Metta and along the south breakwater.

7.3.3.3 Location of the Sand Trap

The results of the sand transport simulations with the proposed layout of the sand trap shows
that for waves from the SSE, sediment moves towards the sand trap, while for the other two
direction namely SSW and S the deposition is directed offshore away from the coast. In order to
ensure that the sediment that is deflected offshore of Mareka Metta is also trapped by the sand
trap, a location offshore of Mareka Metta could be considered. However, in view of the presence
of rock at about 13.0m below CD, the same is not considered any further.

7.3.3.4 Outer Channel Sedimentation

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The estimated outer channel sedimentation is close to 0.175 million m /year, of which more than
70% occurs within the shallower waters less than 14m.

7.3.4 Navigation Simulation Studies

Two types of ships were considered for Ship Navigation Simulation i.e. 200,000 DWT fully
loaded Iron Ore ships and 125,000 DWT fully loaded Coal ships. It was assumed that 4 tugs of

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 50 T bollard pull capacity were available during arrival and departure. However the maximum
bollard pull used during the simulation was only 40 T.

The results of the real time ship navigational simulations showed that in case of 125,000 DWT
ships, passage through the approach channel, turning operation and berthing operation is
possible with an acceptable margin of safety for winds upto 25 knots from the E and S, with
waves upto 2.6m and a current speed of 1.5 knots. Likewise unberthing operation and passage
through the entrance and into the approach channel in winds upto 30 knots from S.

In case of 200,000 DWT ship it is observed that the passage through the approach channel,
turning operation and berthing operation for wind speed upto 30 knots from SW, S and E, a Hs
of 1.8m and a current speed of 1.5 knots is possible with an acceptable margin of safety as well
as for the wind speed upto 20 knots from NE, a Hs of 1.5m and a current speed of 2 knots.
However, the above operations are not recommended for a higher wind of speed 30 knots from
the NE due to the large drift angle, that allows inadequate space in the approach channel to
ensure safe manoeuvring.

It is further observed that approaches through the channel with the 200,000 DWT ship with
waves Hs>2.0m is not recommended for vessels of a draft of 18.3m due to the imminent risk of
grounding in the channel caused by draft reduction generated as a combination of squat, and roll
and heave due to wave action.

The proposed width of the approach channel of 200m was found inadequate in a SW going
current of 2 knots combined with 30 knots wind from NE and wave height of 1.5m. A
recommendation has been made to keep the channel width of 254m to navigate safely under
these conditions, as worked out based on PIANC norms. Further it was recommended to widen
the manoeuvring area towards the north side of the harbour.

7.3.5 Discussions on the Outcome of Model Studies

The outcome of the mathematical model studies conducted on the port layouts can be
summarised in the following paras:

7.3.5.1 Wave Tranquility

The port layout appears to be adequate from the tranquility point of view and no changes in the
lengths and orientation of the breakwaters and berths are envisaged. However, the starting point
of the south breakwater has been slightly shifted towards Meraka Metta in order to get more
backup area. This does not have any implications on the results of model studies.

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7.3.5.2 Sediment Transport

The critical issue addressed is about the location of the sand trap. It is assessed that the sand
trap at the existing location would be able to trap about 0.5 to 0.6 million cum of sediments out of
the estimated 1.0 million cum. The balance will be deposited on the lee of the Mareka Metta and
along the south breakwater. In view of the slight shift in the starting point of the south
breakwater, the location of the sand trap has also been shifted from that tested in model. It is
observed from the sediment movement patterns presented in the model studies that this location
of the sand trap would be better from the point of view of trapping the sediments being deflected
off Mareka Metta.

7.3.5.3 Navigational Aspects

The proposed 200m width of the navigational channel has been found adequate for most of the
simulations. However under only a particular condition of 30 Knots of wind from NE direction
combined with 2 Knots current from NE direction and 1.5m waves, the navigation of 200,000
DWT ship was not recommended although possible.

The combinations of above environmental conditions are considered rather severe and the
probability of their occurrence at the time of the navigation of 200,000 DWT ships (the number of
ships call are limited) would be very low. In the existing port at Visakhapatnam the ships do not
navigate through the channel for wind speed exceeding 25 knots. Hence it is proposed to keep
the channel width as 200m only. However, the breakwaters heads are located in such a way so
as to be able to accommodate upto 255m wide channel, should a need is felt at a later date. The
northern side of the harbour is slightly widened as per the recommendations of the model
studies.

7.4 Marine Layout for Implementation

7.4.1 Breakwaters’ Orientation and Length

The southern breakwater is 1750m long and oriented at 46° - 234°. The northern breakwater is
800m long and oriented 153° - 333°.

7.4.2 Berths’ Layout

The dry bulk berths for handling Iron Ore and Coal have been provided on the lee of the
southern breakwater along a straight line. These berths are continuous and connected to land
near the multipurpose berth. An additional access to the iron ore berth has been provided from
breakwater by means of a 10m wide approach trestle. The multipurpose berths have been
located on the south side of the harbour opposite the hill Vala Metta, and are contiguous to the
land.

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7.4.3 Channel Alignment and Width

The orientation of the entrance channel to the port has been fixed at 84° - 264°. The width of the
channel provided is 200m.

7.4.4 Dredged Depths

The proposed dredged levels in the approach channel and manoeuvring areas are -20.2m CD
and -19.3m CD respectively, to allow for the navigation of fully loaded 200,000 DWT iron ore
ships. Whereas at the berth pockets the depths are provided to suit the corresponding maximum
size of the ships proposed to be handled at these berths, as presented in the Drawing
0903/DPR/315.

7.4.5 Sand Trap

The sand trap has been provided between 6.0m and 14.0m contours, outside the south
breakwater. The dredged level of the sand trap is proposed as –16.0m CD.

7.5 Onshore Facilities

The onshore port layout for the Phase 1 development has been presented in Drawing
0903/DPR/323.

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