THE Port of Colombo has increased capacity with the opening of the third phase of Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) this month, already running at 85 per cent capacity, reports the Sunday Leader.
Today, Colombo has a 4.1 million TEU capacity with the opening of a third phase it adds another 7.2 million TEU, according to the CICT website.
"Colombo is on the trade route. Cutting out the Chittagong-Singapore leg, we are looking at an extra million TEU that could come to Colombo and offer European importers reduced costs," said CICT general manager Tissa Wickramsinghe.
With a 1.2 kilometre quay and 18 metres alongside, the facility intends to open vast transshipment markets on the Indian subcontinent, said Mr Wickramsinghe.
Cargo can be feedered from Chittagong to Singapore then transshipped onto larger westbound Asia-Europe vessels. Two new feeder services between Colombo and Myanmar are to be launched shortly.
The US$500 million CICT project is 85 per cent held by Hong Kong-listed China Merchants and 15 per cent owned by Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).
The private terminal operator, South Asia Gateway Terminal and the SLPA-run Unit and Jaya container terminals saw throughput in 2013 of 4.2 million TEU, slightly down year on year.
PORTS
30 April 2014 - 23:31
Capacity-rich Colombo ready to snatch massive A-E container volumes
THE Port of Colombo has increased capacity with the opening of the third phase of Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) this month, already running at 85 per cent capacity, reports the Sunday Leader.
PORTS
30 April 2014 - 23:31
Capacity-rich Colombo ready to snatch massive A-E container volumes
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