Westports to Bid for Sri Lanka’s Terminal Project

Malaysian port operator Westports Holdings Berhad has expressed interest to take part in a consortium bidding for Colombo Port’s new terminal in Sri Lanka.

Westports will jointly bid for the contract to build Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal (ECT) in the consortium of six companies led by Sri Lankan conglomerate Hayleys PLC.

In line with the master plan of the Colombo Port Expansion Project, the terminal will have 1,200 meters of linear quay wall. Based on the estimation of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), the development of the entire terminal is expected to cost approximately USD 500 million.

The SLPA has developed so far a 600-meter quay wall with a 440-meter berthing facility.

According to the tender announced in 2016, the winner of the tender would provide the port facility with deep water berth of up to 20 meters and add capacity of 2.4 million TEU. In addition, the selected consortium would develop the remaining 760 meters of deep water berth and the rest of the terminal as well as manage and operate the terminal.

The port authority said that the aim of the project is to “improve the port’s value proposition to global shipping lines and increase its market share in the global transshipment market.”

The Colombo Port is primarily a container port.  In addition to the container terminals in the original port area, SLPA plans to develop three terminals of 2.4 million TEU each in the South Harbor.

The first of the said three was built by Colombo International Container Terminals Limited (CICT), a joint venture company of China Merchants Holding (International) and SLPA. ECT will be the second terminal in the South Harbor.

The tender is expected to be closed by the end of this month, according to the Edge Markets.

World Maritime News Staff