Shipping

SLPA extends date for tender submissions

Walter LIYANARACHCHI

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has extended the date to tender submissions till July 15 for bidders to construct the Colombo South Harbour.

The SLPA authorities took this decision after making a few changes to the Agreement in this regard, Port sources said.

Fifteen mega companies had submitted bids. The Colombo South Port, project was planned for years and due to unavoidable circumstances, implementing the project was delayed.

According to the Ports Authority sources the growth in the world shipping trade and the increasing size of container vessels, Ports Authority was compelled to develop the Colombo port to cater to the emerging shipping needs of the world.

The Government plans to build the Colombo South Harbour along with the on-going port projects in Sri Lanka.

The construction work on the Colombo Port expansion project will be completed on schedule despite the escalation of global construction costs, the sources said.

"We are concerned about the increasing cost for constructing the harbour, but we are compelled to find means to go ahead with the project since it is difficult to ignore the enhancement and fast moving modern development trends in the world.

With all the difficulties we have to keep pace with those development" , sources said.

Danger revolves in S. Red Sea - US Navy warns

The US Navy warned on Tuesday that the southern Red Sea was a potential new target area for attack by Somalia-based pirates threatening shipping in one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes. The Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet also said in an advisory aimed at helping ships tackle the threat that the May-September monsoon season was likely to disrupt pirate strikes, and that commercial shipping could exploit this.

"A new area of potential risk following a confirmed pirate attack (in late May) is in the southern Red Sea," US Navy said. "Mariners are encouraged to take advantage of areas of heightened sea state but should continue to remain at a high state of alert, US Navy said."

LHI designs development of Dickowita Fishery Harbour

The development of a commercial fishery Harbour with all facilities like ice plant, cold storage, fish handling equipment, at Dikowita, approximately 10km North of Colombo, was proposed in early 1990s.

The Harbour site is sheltered by the natural reef system. An Initial feasibility study was carried out by Lanka Hydraulic Institute Ltd (LHI) in association with Niras Portconsult, DHI Water and Environment, and Associated Management Services Ltd (AMS) for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry during 1995 - 1997. The feasibility study was funded by the ADB - SL fisheries sector project. Subsequently further studies were carried out with a view to undertaking the project.

The coastal stretch is presently protected by beach nourishment, groyne and detached rubble breakwater system under the Coastal Resources Management Project (CRMP) - Coastal Stabilisation Component (CSC), carried out during the recent past. The Project has been undertaken by the Government of Netherlands and BAM International (formerly INTERBETON) has been awarded the contract to design and construct the Dickowita Fishery Harbour.

Prior to completion of the design work, certain field investigations are required to provide survey data as well as geotechnical information over the project site's marine and onshore areas. BAM Ritchies, a sister company of BAM International, requested LHI to submit a proposal of the following Field Investigations in 2008.

The objectives of these investigations are to provide the detail data and analysis for the general layout and the design of structures in the near-shore and offshore area.

Upon receiving the award of this contract for field investigations in February 2009, LHI immediately started carrying out the field investigations consisting of Hydrographic and Topographic surveys.

The marine bathometry survey has been carried out across the marine extent of the fisheries Harbour and extended to the offshore reef, approximately 800m offshore. The area is approximately 800m long and 800m wide.

Indian navy staves off attack

The Indian navy on Thursday stopped Somali pirates from attacking a cargo ship registered in Slovenia, the Slovenian STA news agency reported, quoting state Radio Slovenija.

The pirates on board three fast motorboats targetted the freighter Postojna, but fled after warning shots were fired from the Indian naval vessel escorting a convoy. Nobody was hurt in the incident, Radio Slovenija said. AFP