Sources inform ''Globes'' that Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. is a member of one of the six consortia that passed the pre-sorting stage in the $1 billion BOT tender to build and operate a new container terminal at Ennore Port Ltd. in southeast India. The terminal is due to begin operating in 2012-2013, and the tender winner will operate it for 20-30 years.
Zim Ports Ltd. a unit of Israel Corp. (TASE: ILCO) subsidiary Zim, is member of a consortium that comprises Japan's Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) Ltd. (TSE: 9101), Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) Ltd, and South Korea's Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd. Other consortia in the tender include A.P. Moller-Maersk Group A/S (KPX:MAERSK) unit APM Terminals BV, and two Indian groups. More than 40 consortia participated in the pre-sorting stage,
Ennore Port is the 12th largest port in India. It is the only port that is not a port trust, but a private company that owns the port infrastructure, which is operated by the private sector.
The Ennore Port project is not Zim's first venture into the Indian market. Last year, the company was reportedly in talks to buy a stake in Indian port operator ABG Heavy Industries Ltd (BSE: 520155).
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 6, 2008
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