Gautam Adani makes BIG move, sells port in Australia for Rs 204929406000 to…, acquisition will not involve…
A company connected to Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani is handing over control of a major Australian port terminal to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in a massive USD 2.4 billion deal, the company announced on Thursday. This move marks a big step in Adani Ports’ global expansion plans. According to a company statement, the board of APSEZ has approved the purchase of Abbot Point Port Holdings Pte Ltd (APPH), a Singapore-based firm, from Carmichael Rail and Port Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd (CRPSHPL), which is a related entity within the Adani Group.
As part of the deal, APSEZ will take full ownership of North Queensland Export Terminal Pty Ltd (NQXT), located in Australia. The acquisition will not involve any cash transaction. Instead, APSEZ will issue around 14.38 crore new equity shares to CRPSHPL as consideration for the 100 percent stake in APPH.
This share-swap arrangement is based on the valuation of NQXT at approximately AUD 3.975 billion, or about USD 2.4 billion. According to Bloomberg, the shares will go to a company controlled by the Adani family.
Why Adani is “selling” the port?
Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) is bringing the North Queensland Export Terminal in Australia back under its wing in a major strategic move, marking another step in the company’s global expansion journey.
The deep-water coal export terminal was initially bought by Adani Ports in 2011, but just two years later in 2013, it was transferred to the Adani family through a deal reportedly worth USD 2 billion, according to Bloomberg. Now, in a renewed push to strengthen its international presence, APSEZ is acquiring it once again.
This acquisition adds to Adani Ports’ growing overseas portfolio, making it the fourth international port under its control after Haifa in Israel, Colombo in Sri Lanka, and the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. It highlights the company’s efforts to position itself as a global maritime leader at a time when Indian trade is projected to see significant growth.
As part of the latest deal, APSEZ will also take over some additional non-core assets and liabilities tied to the port’s holding company, Abbot Point Port Holdings (APPH). However, the company stated that these will be sorted out shortly after the acquisition, with no impact on the overall value of the transaction. Importantly, the company also emphasized that its debt levels will remain largely unchanged after the deal.
Looking ahead, this move supports APSEZ’s ambitious plan to double its cargo handling capacity to 1 billion tonnes annually by FY30. The company expects that with the addition of this port, its cargo volume could increase significantly—from 35 million tonnes in FY25 to as much as 120 million tonnes in the future. There’s even potential for the port to support exports of green hydrogen from Australia, aligning with the group’s focus on cleaner energy alternatives.
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