Ministry of Mines Issues First Offshore Mining License to JNPA

India has issued its first offshore mining licence, granting the Jawaharlal Nehru Ports Authority (JNPA) a composite licence (CL) for a construction sand block. According to the Ministry of Mines, this marks the country's first allocation of a mineral block for offshore exploration and production.

Allocated on a nomination basis at the request of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, the block will supply sand for land reclamation at the Vadhavan Greenfield Port in Palghar, Maharashtra. The Rs 76,220 crore project requires approximately 200 million cubic meters of sand. The offshore block, located 50 km from the port site off the Daman coast, lies at a depth of 20-25 meters.

This initiative aims to reduce reliance on land-based construction sand, ensuring a stable supply for JNPA’s port development and operations. Once completed, Vadhavan Port will have a total capacity of 298 million tonnes per annum, including 23.2 million TEUs across nine container terminals.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.