East Container Terminal Construction set for completion by year-end: Minister

Constructions for Phase II of the East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Port of Colombo (POC) began on 22 May.

The completion of Phase I has already seen the construction of 600m of the terminal, and Phase II, currently underway, will add an additional 720m, resulting in a total terminal length of 1320m.

The initial 700m section of Phase II will have a draft of 18m, while the remaining portion will have a draft of 20m. Upon completion, the terminal will occupy a land area of 57 hectares and will feature a fully automated operations system. The project, with a total investment value of USD 230 million, will be funded through the capital investment of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).

The completed terminal will add a capacity of 3.0 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units). Today marked an important milestone as the inaugural Concrete Block for the Quay Wall was successfully placed, symbolizing the commencement of Phase II of the terminal construction. The target is to finalize the entire project before the end of this year, boosting the capabilities and efficiency of the Port of Colombo.