No further operational halts at East Container Terminal - SLPA
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) yesterday moved to reassure the shipping industry an end to operational shutdowns at the East Container Terminal (ECT) previously required for construction.
The assurance follows the successful completion of the critical installation and commissioning phase for 12 new Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes and 40 Automated Rail-Mounted Gantry (ARMG) cranes. While the terminal continues its overall development, this milestone means there will be no further planned disruptions for crane installation.
This development will allay industry fears over costly interruptions. A scheduled closure from June 5th to June 19th, coupled with adverse weather, was widely expected to negatively impact vital transshipment volumes.
In an official announcement, SLPA Chief Superintendent - Marketing/Operations, Chamara Wijayawickrama confirmed the project’s completion.
“We are proud to announce this major milestone. With this, there will be no more closures of this nature at ECT, ensuring smooth operations moving forward,” Wijayawickrama stated.
He added that the long-term development of the port remains on track. “Looking ahead to 2026, we will strengthen our capabilities with eight berthings, including three deep-water berths.”
The terminal’s operational efficiency has been a point of contention, with some industry veterans citing procurement mismanagement as a cause for delays and suboptimal performance. The conclusion of this disruptive construction phase is seen as a vital step toward stabilising ECT’s operations and building confidence among international shipping lines.
In the meantime, Adani-JKH’s West container terminal, managed jointly, finished its first full operational month for phase one. However, the East container terminal’s full operations have been delayed past this year.
Between January and April, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) terminals, specifically Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), Unity Container Terminal (UCT), and the partially functioning East Container Terminal (ECT), processed a total of 802,163 TEUs. This figure represents a 4.2 percent decrease compared to the same period in the previous year.
In the initial four months of 2025, the Port of Colombo’s container throughput reached 2.56 million TEUs. This figure indicates a 2.9 percent year-over-year reduction compared to the 2.64 million TEUs handled during the corresponding period in 2024.
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