The Dhamra Port is a port in Bhadrak district, Odisha, India, on the shore of the Bay of Bengal about seven kilometres from the old port of Dhamra. The agreement to develop the port was signed in April 1998. The Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL) was formed as a result of a 50:50 joint venture between Larsen & Toubro and TATA Steel to run the port. The Port received its first vessel on 8 February 2010 and the first commercial vessel on 10 April 2011. The Port has an initial capacity of 25 million tonnes annually, eventually growing to 80 million tonnes annually. Greenpeace has opposed the project, claiming it threatens nearby protected areas and endangered species such as the olive ridley turtle Objectives The port was taken over by Adani Port in June 2014. Construction of a $12 billion steel plant by Posco of South Korea, and the new port of Dhamara, promise to bring jobs and development. The port will be used to export iron ore from a nearby mineral belt. The Odisha government has plans to develop related industries near the new port, including a shipbuilding yard and a petrochemical and gas-based manufacturing hub. A special investment region has been proposed for Dhamara, and a zoning plan is being prepared to cover housing, health services and other urban infrastructure. A new airport/Airstrip is approved by government of odisha near Dhamra port of around 500 acres. National Waterway 5 project of connecting water channels between Pardeep and Dhamra is also in the construction stage by IWAI. A proposed 4 lane NH is also in DPR stage connecting to Dhamra port from Jamujhadi NH16. Existing jamujhadi-basudebpur-Dhamra road is under construction and is been done on PPP mode. A tea processing unit is planned to have a unit in Dhamra port. Construction During the year 1997 Government of Odisha invited M/s International Seaports dredging Private Limited (ISDPL) to explore and evaluate the possibilities of expanding the minor port at Dhamra with modern contemporary facilities. After a site visit and preliminary discussions/evaluation, selected Dhamra port for further expansion. Based on a review of studies undertaken by the Government of Odisha and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai, as well as a preliminary field analysis ISDPL proposed a broad project approach. On this basis ISDPL and Government of Odisha entered into a memorandum of understanding on 31.03.97 for the expansion and development