Colombo South Harbour expansion project progressing well:

Container handling capacity to top 12m in 2020

By Ananda KANNANGARA

The defeating of 30-year old Northern terrorism is the biggest victory achieved by our country in the early part of this century. Now the Government is focusing attention towards the winning of the economic war. Anybody feels this economy development war too could be won easily under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

As the President had the vision and strength to eliminate terrorism from this land, winning the economy war is not a big problem to him. But the Ministers and other parliamentarians who are around him should also make sacrifices to help the President win the economic war. If responsible officials do not take measures to fulfil this objective, the President will face additional burden. Therefore team-work is essential at this juncture.

The Government has started a number of new agricultural and industrial projects. In addition, lots of infrastructure facilities, such as the new Port at Hambantota, the new Airport at Mattala, highways, high speed railway tracks, economic centres, power generating projects and flyovers at main junctions have been constructed during the recent past.

The Colombo Port expansion project is one of the largest economic development projects initiated by the Government last year to cater to the increasing demands of services in the international shipping industry. After a comprehensive study of the Port of Colombo, the authorities decided to develop the South Port area which is three times bigger than the existing Colombo Port.

The project is called "Colombo Port Expansion Project" and it will be completed under two phases.

The 6.83 km length breakwater and dredging of the new harbour basin and the navigation channel will increase the arrival of international ships to Sri Lanka next year. At present over 4500 international ships arrive in the Colombo Port every year.

Ports and Aviation Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena at a recent inspection tour at the new port construction site with a group of media personnel highlighted the importance of expanding the Colombo Port.

The new port takes shape

‘Chinese Pot’ being transported to fill land

He said the container handling capacity could be increased to three times than at present after opening the new Port.

The Deputy Minister said the new Colombo South Harbour is three times bigger than the existing harbour and a business city will also be constructed within the new port area to enable local and foreign businessmen to carry out international business activities.

He said the construction work of the project will be completed with the completion of the Harbour infrastructure work in April 2012.

According to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), the expansion of Port of Colombo is carried out at a cost of US Dollars 300 million. The depth of the new harbour is 9.5 metres. The new port is constructed within 5200 hectares of land area. At present Sri Lankan labour force over 1800 including engineers and about 150 foreign workers are employed in the site.

Public also could view the on-going new port expansion work from the Marine Drive stretch running between Bambalapitiya and Kollupitiya.According to a senior SLPA official the construction of the breakwater was done by placing a core material. The outer protection layers of first 3850 meter length has been completed by now. The rock transportation is carried out by sea from Wadduwa in the Kalutara District.

At least 20 to 25 barges (flat-bottomed boat) transport rock material to Colombo every week. Accordingly about three million cubic meters of rock has been transported to Colombo up to date. Meanwhile about 15 million cubic meters of sand have been reclaimed in the core of the main Breakwater.

The submarine crude oil pipeline to the SPBM runs across the port access channel at a shallow depth. The new submarine pipeline has to be laid at a deeper depth in order to deepen the channel depth up to 20.00 meter.

The first 600m terminal is in operation in 2013 and the entire terminal will be completed in 2015. After completing all three terminals, the container handling capacity of the Port of Colombo will be over 12 million by the year 2020. The expansion project was commenced in April 2008 by the Hyundai Engineering Construction Company, Korea, while the construction and operation of South Container terminal is done by the China Merchants Holdings (international) Company and the Aitken Spence PLC Company.

The media team was also given an opportunity to have a close look at the new Port construction work by taking them around the city by the Suranimala tug boat.