Second batch of brand new terminal equipment arrives at JCT

The second batch of the terminal equipment order from China arrived at te Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) recently. Among the latest arrivals via the vessel Zhen Hua 10 on 15 November 2010 at the JCT of the SLPA were three brand new gantry cranes and eleven rubber tyre yard gantry cranes (RTG – transfer cranes).

Expressing views at the occasion, Deputy Minister of Ports and Highways Rohitha Abegunawardene stated that it was a pleasure to see the SLPA being converted to offer a pioneering task to rapidly strengthen the socioeconomic development of the country, making the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ a reality under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

SLPA Chairman Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama commenting on the arrival of the second batch of brand new terminal equipment at the JCT stated that the present Government should especially be thanked for the prompt patronage extended to obtain the equipments that fulfilled a long-awaited requirement of the SLPA.

He also said that the purchase of new equipment was an initiative of the currently implemented procedures at the institution to boost efficiency and productivity for a better and enhanced customer service.

“With the latest arrivals of new equipment, we hope to increase the operations capacities by 20 to 25 per cent. Following the new purchase, the currently existing operations equipment will be repaired, modernised and utilised at the domestic container operations as well,” he added.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Port and Highways Anura Jayawickrama, SLPA Managing Director Capt. Nihal Keppetipola, Director (Port Operations) G.A. Thalagala, Director (Technical) A.D.T. Gunasekara, Chief Operations Manager (Container Operations) Jayantha Perera and Chief Manager (Logistics) Upali De Soyza of SLPA were also present at the occasion.

The SLPA entered into an agreement worth Rs. 7,200 million with the ZPMC in May last year to import one STS gantry crane of 50 tonnes capacity and 24 RTG cranes of 41 tonnes capacity.

The first batch of the terminal equipments that included three brand new gantry cranes and six RTGs arrived at the JCT of SLPA last April.

Currently, SLPA is geared to develop five ports around the country aimed to make Sri Lanka a maritime hub and the most efficient and attractive port in the region.

The brand new terminal equipment being imported at the SLPA would further enable the port to vastly increase its capacity and productivity while enabling Super Panamax vessels to operate at the facility.