SLPA starts ECT Phase III operations

Monday, 26 January 2026 04:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) last week began the operations of Phase III of the Eastern Container Terminal (ECT), marking a key milestone in the Government’s efforts to strengthen the Port of Colombo as a regionally competitive maritime hub.

With the completion of Phase III, 1,090 metres of the terminal’s planned 1,300-metre quay length has now been completed, while 82% of the balance construction work is also finished. The commissioning of this phase enables the Eastern Container Terminal to handle three container vessels simultaneously.

Operations at the new phase were inaugurated with the arrival of a container vessel operated by the CMA CGM Group.

In 2025, the Eastern Container Terminal handled over 500,000 container movements. With the commissioning of the additional terminal capacity, the SLPA expects container handling at the ECT to exceed 1.5 million movements in 2026, further reinforcing the Port of Colombo’s position as a leading transhipment and re-export hub in South Asia.

- Pix by Sameera Wijesinghe