UK, Chinese firms fight to build Colombo Port terminal

UK group Boskalis International, along with China Harbour Engineering Corp and China State Engineering Corp, is bidding for the contract to build the US$ 500 million Colombo South Harbour Container Terminal in Sri Lanka.

The winning bidder will be selected in December and construction will begin in January.

The joint-venture shell company that will develop and operate the terminal – Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) – will be formed this month.

China Merchant Holdings International will have 55% stake in the venture, Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence will hold 30% and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority 15%.

Colombo South Harbour will have three terminals, each with four berths, on 1,200 metres of quay. Depth alongside will be 18 metres, with provision to deepen this to 23 metres.

The new terminal will add 2.5 million teu to the Colombo Port’s capacity and will be able to accommodate the new-generation vessels carrying up to 18,000 teu.