Colombo Port will add 1.5 million TEU capacity next year

The Port of Colombo is expected to add around 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container-handling capacity next year, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Parakrama Dissanayake said.

In an interview with local media, Dissanayake said around 500,000 TEUs of additional capacity could come from the East Container Terminal (ECT), provided that the procurement of straddle carriers is completed as scheduled.

He said the equipment is expected to arrive in August or September next year, enabling the terminal to expand its operations.

The Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) is expected to contribute another one million TEUs, bringing the port's total annual container-handling capacity to approximately 11.5 million TEUs.

Dissanayake said the original plan was to increase the port's capacity to around 14 million TEUs by the end of 2027. However, delays in bringing additional capacity at the ECT online have made that target unattainable.

He said the Port of Colombo is now expected to reach an overall annual capacity of around 14 million TEUs by 2028, following further expansion of the Colombo South Harbour and existing facilities, including the South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT) and Jaya Container Terminal (JCT).

Container-handling demand at the port is projected to reach approximately 12 million TEUs by 2028, leaving an estimated surplus capacity of two million TEUs, he said.

Dissanayake said the additional capacity would help the port address its current operational constraints and accommodate future growth in container traffic.