Sri Lanka expects to complete East Container Terminal by July 2024

ECT

State-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority plans to complete a partially built East Container Terminal at a cost over 600 million US dollars by July 2024 which will boost Colombo Port’s capacity to 10.5 million containers from the current 7.0 million, officials said.

By July 2023 with a 600 meter length of the terminal being added 6 ship-to-shore cranes and 20 rail mounted grantry (RMG) cranes would be brought, Ports Minister Abeygunewardene said.

A 600 meter stretch of the 1320 meter quay is already built.

By January 2024 another 6 STS cranes and 20 RMG cranes would come with another 600 meters being built.

By July 2024 with the terminal being complete a total of 12 STS cranes and 40 aRMG cranes are expected to in place.

The equipment will cost around 300 million US dollars, a terminal operating system 20 million dollars and civil construction will need 200 million dollars, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Nihal Keppettipola said.

A 600 million dollar length already constructed had cost about 100 million dollars.

Another 720 meters have to be built which will cost a ‘little over 200 million” dollars, Keppettipola said.

There also has to fill the container yard which will take up the cost to around 700 million US dollars, he said.

It is not clear how the terminal is being financed.

If the terminal was built in 2015 the cost would have been around half he said. (Colombo/Jan12/2021)

(source: economynext.com)