Matarbari deep sea port channel set to be inaugurated on 11 Nov
The PM will also lay the foundation for the first terminal construction at the deep seaport on the day
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially inaugurate the Matarbari deep seaport channel in Maheshkhali upazila of Cox's Bazar on 11 November.
In addition to the channel inauguration, she will also lay the foundation for the construction of the first terminal at the deep-sea port.
This phase includes the development of a 460-metre-long container jetty, a 300-metre-long multipurpose jetty with an 18.5-metre draft, and various port facilities, including a container yard. The Matarbari deep seaport is expected to commence operations in 2026.
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Omar Faruk, secretary of Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), stated that the port authorities completed all necessary preparations for the channel's opening and the commencement of terminal construction.
According to Project officials, once the construction work is completed, the Matarbari deep seaport terminal will be accessible to vessels with 18-metre drafts. This development will enable 8 to 10 thousand container ships to directly access the jetty.
State-owned Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited have constructed channels and two jetties as part of the coal power project, with 120 ships passing through the channel for the coal-fired power plants.
The Matarbari Port Development Project, aimed at establishing the nation's maiden deep seaport, has been undertaken at an estimated cost of Tk17,777.20 crore with a project duration extending until 31 December 2026. Following project approval, the implementation process is well underway.
The Coal Power Generation Company handed over the responsibility of the Matarbari channel to the CPA at an event held in Chattogram on 20 September this year.
The use, preservation and complete control of the Matarbari port channel, port dues, berth hire charges, piloting, tug charges, berthing-unberthing and other charges to be collected by the CPA.
Pursuant to the government's approval, the Coal Power Generation Company has excavated a 14.3-kilometre (km) long artificial channel having a 250-metre width and 18.5-metre depth under the 1,200MW coal-based power plant construction project.
According to the agreement between the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources on 29 November 2018, for the construction of Matarbari Port, the width of the channel has been increased by 100m to 350m.
To make the new channel and harbour safe and secure, the Coal Power Generation Company has constructed a 1,753-metre-long breakwater on the north of the approach channel, another 713-metre-long breakwater on the south, and a 1802.85-metre revetment on the north.
