Vadhvan Port Project Ltd has issued a call for bids on near shore reclamation and shore protection works worth Rs 1,700 crore under an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) model, marking the first step toward developing a new deep-water major port at Vadhvan, near Dahanu in Maharashtra's Palghar district. This ambitious mega port project is estimated to cost Rs 76,220 crore and will be constructed on 1,448 hectares of reclaimed land. Unmesh Wagh, Chairman of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, explained that nearly 200 hectares of land will be created close to the shore, serving as the launch point for offshore works like breakwater and reclamation. This area will eventually act as a storage yard for containers, as well as facilities for building tank farms and laying railway lines. Vadhvan Port Project Ltd is a joint venture between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, which holds a 74% stake, and the Maharashtra Maritime Board, which has 26% equity in the project. The development will require substantial investment in basic infrastructure, including dredging, reclamation, shore protection works, breakwater construction, and improving rail and road connectivity, totaling Rs 38,976 crore. Of this, Rs 20,647 crore will be allocated for dredging, offshore reclamation, and shore protection works, which will be undertaken through a public-private partnership (PPP) or Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The remaining infrastructure will be created through the EPC mode. Additionally, the private operators selected by Vadhvan Port Project Ltd will invest Rs 37,244 crore for developing container terminals, multipurpose berths, coastal cargo berths, RO-RO, and liquid berths. Once completed, Vadhvan Port will have the capacity to handle 298 million tonnes of cargo, including approximately 23.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).  Beside the remaining cost of the given crore amount will be invested by the private operators of container terminals.