Slpa News

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) said it will provide $553 million financing for a Colombo port terminal project, partly owned by India's Adani Group, advancing the first foray by an Indian company into the sector.Sri Lanka, an island off India's southern coast, is mired in its worst financial crisis in over seven decades after its foreign exchange reserves ran to record lows last year, forcing its economy to contract by 7.8% in 2022. Ports-to-edible oils Adani group…

Sri Lanka's largest port began on Wednesday construction of a $700 million terminal project, partly funded by India's Adani Group, an official said, marking the first foray by an Indian company into the sector. India has this year provided the most financial support to its southern neighbour, which is facing its worst economic crisis in more than seven decades. India is now keen to see long-term projects by Indian companies take off in Sri Lanka. "Dredging commenced in the morning," Upul Jayatissa, managing director of the state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), told Reuters.

Sri Lanks will invest a sum of US$ 190 million to installs gantry cairns and also add other infrastructure to the East Container Terminal, said Sagala Ratnayaka, the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development.He said Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) would initially invest this amount and then get it reimbursed from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)  under a loan agreement.Ratnayaka said that the passenger terminal in the Colombo Harbour too would be developed. “We want this passenger terminal to be in par with the Singapore Cruse terminal to attract vessels that would pick up and drop passengers in Colombo.”He said…

The three governments of Sri Lanka, Japan and India have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) for the development of the East Container Terminal (ECT) located in the Colombo South Port."As a hub of the Indian Ocean, the development of Sri Lanka and openness of its ports are of great importance. Colombo Port is the leading Port in the region. This joint project reflects the longstanding good will and cooperation among the three countries," said a joint statement.Japan has provided cooperation for the development of the Jaya Container Terminal since the 1980’s. Around 70% of Colombo Port’s transshipment business is India-related.Sri Lanka…

Kavan Ratnayaka has been appointed the new Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). Ratnayaka assumed duties as the Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) last week.Before his appointment as the Chairman of SLPA, Kavan Ratnayaka served the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). He is also a former Chairman of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon (Lake House).An old boy of Royal College, Kavan Ratnayaka holds a Bachelor of Science degree in (Physics) of the University of California. He has also served as the Country General Manager of IBM Sri Lanka, Chief Executive Officer of Dialog Broadband and the Chief Corporate Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC.Minister of Port…

The super luxury passenger vessel MV Mein Schif 3 of TUI Cruises with 2,430 passengers and 995 crew on board made her maiden call at the Port of Colombo on 26th November 2018. The vessel was welcomed at the East Container Terminal (ECT) of Sri Lank Ports Authority (SLPA).Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) – Dr.Parakrama Dissanayake said that the Port of Colombo was honored by the presence of Mein Shiff 3 in Colombo. “The Port of Colombo has become an extremely busy port and this year the port also became the fastest growing port in the world in terms of handling containers. The next area we are focusing is the passenger vessels and we have plans to construct a state of the art passenger terminal at the Port of Colombo…

China Merchants Port Holdings (CM Port) has invested the final tranche of USD 584.2 million in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port after acquiring an 85 percent stake in the port last year. The cheque to the effect was handed over to the Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) – Dr.Parakrama Dissanayake by the Chief Representative of China Merchant Group in Sri Lanka - Mr.Ray Ren in the presence of senior port officials and representatives of CM Port. This makes the single highest ever Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) received by Sri Lanka to date. This third final tranche in the amount of US $ 584,194,800 follows the 1st, a 2nd tranches released in December last year and January 2018, in amounts US $ 292 million and US $ 97 million.

China Merchants Port Holdings has made a $584 million payment as part of a $1.12 billion deal to operate Sri Lanka's deep sea Hambantota port, a state-run agency said on Wednesday.Under the deal, signed in July 2017, China Merchants Port (CM Port) will run the $1.5 billion Chinese-built port on a 99-year lease. The $1.12 billion total price is to be used to reduce the Sri Lankan government's debt to China."With this payment, CM Port fulfils the $976 million investment ... CM Port has agreed to deposit a further sum of $146 million being investment to be utilized for port and marine-related activities," the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said in a statement.The port is near the main shipping route from Asia to Europe and likely to play a major role in China's "Belt and Road" initiative.

The Government of Sri Lanka approved loans to develop both the Kankesanthurai (KKS) Harbour and the northern section of the Colombo Port. For the reconstruction of the KKS harbour, a credit line agreement between the Export-Import Bank of India and the Sri Lankan Government was signed. Accordingly, a $ 45.17 million credit line from India will be used to finance the restoration of the KKS Harbour, which is to be transformed into a self-sustainable, commercial harbour. This project is line with the Government’s North-East Economic Corridor concept to develop trade in the northern and eastern ports/harbours. The restoration of the KKS…

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has visited the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka. Kono was briefed by Sri Lankan government officials about a project under consideration to expand the port. The Japanese Foreign Minister  also visited the newly built control tower and the Colombo Port Expansion Project currently known as the Colombo south Port. Colombo is the largest port in Sri Lanka, which is a strategically important point in Indian Ocean sea lanes. Taro Kono was briefed by the Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake about the project, the consideration to expand the facility and the ‘Three Year Plan’ that has currently been initiated to develop the Port of Colombo. The Japanese government has been involved in building port facilities there for many years.

MSC Daniela is docked at Colombo port, Colombo International Container Terminal, ten days after a blaze broke out in the aft section of the 13,800 teu, local media reported. No further information was provided. Earlier, Ceylon Today reported that  the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) Colombo, had received a fire distress call from the local agent of 'MSC Daniela' as the vessel was 120 nautical miles off the Port of Colombo, on Tuesday (April 04). The Panama flagged container ship was sailing from Singapore to Egypt and the fire broke out in the vessel while outside the Colombo Port. Colombo was not meant to be a port of call for the ill-fated vessel, but Colombo, soon was to be a matter of necessity and not a matter of choice.

Container Corporation of India (Concor) has  formed a consortium with APM Terminals B.V., John Keells Holdings and Maersk Line in order to bid for the development of East Container Terminal in Colombo, reports Hindu Business Line. The total project value is likely to be about $550-600 million. The Colombo Port currently has four container terminals. In 2008, a new harbour basin, the Colombo South Harbour was developed to accommodate deep draft vessels and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) decided to develop four new terminals, each with a capacity of 2.4 million TEU’s (twenty-foot container equivalent unit - a measure used in container shipping) to cater to increasing demand.

Port and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranathunga said he plans to bring the Colombo Port to be among the top 20 global container ports. He said every possible step has been taken to facilitate all employees and staff of the institution to perform their fullest duty towards Sri Lanka Ports Authority without disputes and as same as the previous year. Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Dammika Ranathunga said the institution is by now acquiring a rapid progress. He said compared to the decrease in TEU operations in 2015, marking Singapore at 8%, Salala 18%, Hamburg 11.7%, the growth of the Port of Colombo was marked at 5.9%. At the same time he said that the domestic operations have increased by 8.3% and transshipment TEU operations by 5.4%.

For the first time in history the Port of Colombo reaches 05 million container operations. To mark the ocassion, a ceremony will be held tomorrow, Monday 21st December 2015 at the Jaya Container Terminal  of Sri Lanka Ports Authority , with the initiative of Hon.Minister of Port and Shipping Arjuna Ranathunga. With the latest initiatives implemented at  Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), its operational volumes show a rapid growth compared to similar periods during past. A number of procedures  are being implemented at the Port of Colombo under the guidance of Hon.Minister of Port and Shipping Arjuna Ranathunga and under instructions by the Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Mr.Dammika Ranathunga.

A fully-fledged cruise terminal is to be set up at Colombo port given the increasing number of calls by cruise vessels, according to Lakdas Panagoda, chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). The SLPA plans to convert the Bandaranaike Quay (BQ) of Colombo port into a “fully-fledged international cruise terminal,” Panagoda said. This was one of the initiatives taken by the SLPA during the new administration in the past six months, he said. Cruise lines revived calls at Sri Lankan ports like Colombo after the end of the island’s 30-year ethnic war in 2009. The number of cruise vessels calling at the island’s ports is increasing but the lack of a dedicated cruise ship terminal is seen by the travel trade as a drawback.

Fuel bunkering under the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port will commence operations by June 15, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Priyath Bandu Wickrama said. "Bunkering operations will start by June 15 at the newly built fuel bunkering terminal at Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port," Wickrama said. "The terminal, which will provide fuel for ships, has been constructed at a cost of US $95 million in line with the Magampura Port development project. According to the chairman, all facilities have been tested for fuel bunkering and the first shipment of fuel for bunkering will be received in the first week of June. An oil tank farm with 14 tanks with an investment of US $ 76 is also constructed at the Hambantota Port.

China Merchant Holdings International (CMHI) subsidiary Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) put the new terminal into trial operation mode with the arrival of the first ship to dock there, the 'M/V Coromandel'. CMHI owns an 85% interest in CICT, there will be altogether 4 berths and a quay length of 1200 meters, with a designed handling capacity of 2.4 million TEU, the first phase project covers 400 meters quay length. To celebrate the occasion, a blessing ceremony was performed at CICT berth site. CMG Assistant President cum CMHI Managing Director Dr.