Adani Ports Launches Operations at Pioneering Colombo Port Terminal

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, alongside partners, has commenced operations at the Colombo West International Terminal in Sri Lanka, a key transshipment hub developed under a $800 million project. Under a 35-year BOT agreement, the terminal is set to transform maritime logistics in South Asia.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has launched operations at the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) in Sri Lanka's Port of Colombo. This significant development, under a public-private partnership, involves India's largest port operator, Adani Ports, Sri Lankan giant John Keells Holdings PLC, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The agreement covers a 35-year Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) contract.

The CWIT project, valued at USD 800 million, features a 1,400-metre quay length and a depth of 20 metres, which allows it to manage approximately 3.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually. This first fully automated deep-water terminal in Colombo aims to bolster cargo handling speeds, expedite vessel turnaround, and increase the port's role as a major transshipment hub in South Asia.

Construction began in early 2022, with significant progress achieved rapidly. Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, hailed the operational commencement as a historic milestone for regional cooperation between India and Sri Lanka. He emphasized the terminal's role in advancing trade within the Indian Ocean and boosting Sri Lanka's global maritime stature, all while generating substantial local employment and unlocking economic potential.

(With inputs from agencies.)