H'tota port to anchor first ship in November

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

The Hambantota port which changed the Sri Lankan map and placed the country in a strategic location for seafaring will anchor its first ship by mid next month, said Chief Engineer, Hambantota Port Project, Agil Hewageegana.

He said that the first phase of the port which will be completed early next month is ahead of schedule. The project was scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2011.

The Hambantota port

"Fenders have been fixed and the final touches are being put to complete the first phase of the port. The port will be able to berth four vessels on completion of the first phase", Hewageegana said.

The Hambantota port, one of the largest and deepest in the region will help relieve pressure on the Colombo port and provide services to ships on route.

Hewageegana said the Hambantota port being located close to the east-west shipping routes has a distinct advantage to attract large vessels and be a major hub port in the region.

The new port will take away a major load of the port activities in Colombo which mainly caters to container handling.

The Hambantota port will provide facilities for port related industries and services such as bunkering, maintenance, logistics, buying provisions and medical supplies.

The first phase of the port will consist of two 600m general purpose berths, a 310m bunkering berth and a 120m small craft berth. The first phase will also contain a bunkering facility and a farm which will comprise of eight tanks for marine fuel, three for aviation and three for liquid petroleum gas.

Hewageegana said that a 15 floor administrative complex will be built as a part of the project. The Hambantota port will operate initially as an industrial and service port and then as a commercial port.

The mouth of the harbour has a 22m depth. When completed the port will have a 1.5 km long breakwater with a minimum basin depth of 17m. The Colombo port has a depth of 15.5 metres.

A dam will be built to prevent flooding in the surrounding areas and a seawall made of interlocking concrete blocks will protect the port from high seas.

Hambantota which is one of the poorest regions in the country will benefit enormously from the new port that will provide around 5,000 direct and around 50,000 indirect employment to people in the areas.

Promotion of tourism, agricultural and industrial growth, rise in land value and creation of a vibrant export sector are some of the main benefits of the port.

"The new port which will provide the much needed foreign currency to the country and be a major challenge to ports in the region", he said.

"The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has signed the MoU for the second phase of the project and the agreement will be signed following Cabinet approval", Hewageegana said.

The investment for the first phase of the port is estimated to be around US$ 361 million. The cost of the second phase is being negotiated.

The second phase of the project is expected to be completed within three years and when completed it could berth around 10 ships.

Sri Lanka is situated along the major shipping routes between the Malacca Straits and the Suez Canal which links Asia and Europe. An estimated 36,000 ships including 4,500 oil tankers use the route annually and daily around 200 vessels pass the southern sea of Sri Lanka.

The second phase of the port will include a container terminal and the third phase a dockyard. Upon completion the port will cover 4,000 acres of land and accommodate around 30 vessels.

The Hambantota port is constructed by the China Harbour Engineering Company.