Friday Oct 17, 2025
Friday Oct 17, 2025
Friday, 17 October 2025 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Admiral (Retd.) Sirimevan Ranasinghe yesterday said the Colombo Port could handle a record 8.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) this year, supported by the ramp-up of operations at the West Container Terminal (WCT).
“There is rapid growth at the WCT. It started slowly in April this year, but we are now seeing a strong rise in container handling,” Ranasinghe said on the sidelines of the ‘Voyage Sri Lanka 2025’ marine summit in Colombo.
He said the Port reached 7.78 million TEUs last year despite having a maximum handling capacity of 7 million. “With the new capacity coming online, we expect to reach 8.2 million TEUs this year,” he added.
Last year, the SLPA’s Jaye Container Terminal and East Container Terminal handled 2.4 million TEUs, while the China-backed Colombo International Container Terminal managed 3.3 million and John Keells Holdings’ South Asia Gateway Terminal handled 2 million.
The India-backed Colombo West International Container Terminal began operations earlier this year.
Ranasinghe said total Port capacity is projected to double to 15 million TEUs by 2026. Despite disruptions during Sri Lanka’s 2022 crisis, the Colombo Port has since rebounded, with transshipment volumes rising 9.7% to 6.31 million TEUs in 2024 due to shipping diversions from the Red Sea via the Cape of Good Hope.
