SLPA-owned ECT under CPEP on smooth course with on-time progress

Monday, 21 July 2014 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has identified the Colombo Port Expansion Project (CPEP) to cater to the increasing demands of services in the international shipping industry. This project consists of two phases – harbour infrastructure works such as construction of breakwaters, dredging for new harbour basin and navigation channel and rerouting of crude oil pipe line. The other component includes construction of terminals and other related services. The first terminal of the CPEP, the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT), was constructed on a Built Own Transfer (BOT) agreement with a Public-Private-Partnership between the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) and China Merchants Holdings (International) Co., Ltd. (CMHI).

The CPEP, with a total annual container throughput of 7.2 million TEUs and a monumental breakwater of 6.8 km, augmented container handling capacity with facilities to serve mega ships was bestowed upon the nation by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 5 August last year. The construction of an SLPA-owned single berth of the CPEP is known as the East Container Terminal (ECT) and with the completion of its Phase I soon, it is expected to cater to the shortfall in the capacity of container handling in the Port of Colombo. The quay wall of the ECT is designed to cater the container vessels of 230,000 DWT with dimensions of 400m long 24 boxes wide to berth alongside water depth of 18m. The quay is designed to support a 65Ton Ship to Shore crane (STS), a 30 metre rail span, a back reach area and roads.

As a special feature, the green port technology is incorporated in this terminal by adopting E- RTG’s as the yard equipment to accommodate 12 dry lanes for import, export and empties and one reefer lane. Further, introducing shore power facility, sewer treatment plants, efficient solid waste collection system, reducing terminal light intensity, adapting ISO-14001 Environmental Management System and with a green belt by the side of the roads and common areas also planned for this green port technology. By the end of the second quarter of this year the physical progress of the constructions of the terminal is marked as at 43.2% and the financial progress as per work done as at the end of April this year is 34%.The work is scheduled to be completed in December 2014.

The Colombo Port Expansion Project harbour infrastructure works was initiated with a total estimated construction cost of $ 330 million. The Asian Development Bank and Sri Lanka Ports Authority jointly financed the project of infrastructure works. Asian Development Bank financed $ 300 million which is 81.7% of the total cost and the remaining 18.3% will be financed by SLPA. Major Items in infrastructure works included the main breakwater construction, secondary breakwater construction, dredging of main channel, rerouting of submarine crude oil pipeline, construction of pilot station and other ancillary building and construction of road and services The project by now has progressed almost in line with the schedule and completed fulfilling quality, standards, environmental and social issues within the cost and timeframes.