Third container terminal opens in 2016:
Colombo Port to increase capacity
Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA
Sri Lanka will be able to cater to the South Asian needs in handling
larger vessels with the construction of the Colombo Port’s third
container terminal which is scheduled to be completed by 2016. The
inauguration of the Colombo Port third container terminal was held on
Friday and this is a long overdue project as capacity expansion was
urgently needed to remain competitive in the region.
Night view of Colombo Harbour |
The US $ 500 million project will be completed in three stages and
scheduled to be total operative by 2016, Colombo Shipping Academy CEO
Rohan Masakorala told Daily News Business.
With the terminal Sri Lanka will have the capacity to entertain
largest triple E class vessels which did not enter the port in the past.
The expansion will enable the harbour basin to accommodate and handle 18
metre draft, he said.
The 600 metre terminal is a boost to the country’s shipping industry
as Sri Lanka will be the only port in South Asia to handle large
vessels. The first stage is expected to be completed by 2013.
The Colombo Port will be able to cater to larger transshipments with
10,000 TEUs capacity and the container handling capacity is expected to
go up from 4.9 million to 13 million.
The project is carried out as a PPP venture and the expansion will
see more liners calling the port.
The project will provide the port more capacity to market and it will
have a positive impact on the local trade. As there is better
connectivity opportunity, the trading community will benefit, he said.
With the expansion handling and ship capacity will increase while
also creating employment opportunities and value addition. The project
augurs well for the country to become the hub in the region. There will
also be a 400 metre berth constructed to increase capacity in a bid to
address the immediate needs in the port capacity to be completed by 2013
at the Colombo South harbour terminal, Masakorala said. |