Colombo East Terminal Expands with New Cranes, Boosting Capacity

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo East Container Terminal (CECT) has recently enhanced its operational efficiency with the addition of three new Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes.

This expansion brings the terminal's total to nine STS cranes, allowing it to accommodate a wider variety of vessels, regardless of size. 

This development is part of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority's (SLPA) ongoing efforts to solidify the country's status as a key maritime hub in the Indian Ocean.

Once fully operational by mid-2025, the CECT is expected to handle up to 3.5 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually. 

The terminal's impressive specifications include a berth length of 1,320 meters and a water depth ranging from 18 to 20 meters, enabling it to support larger vessels and boost regional economic growth through increased trade flows.

In 2024, SLPA terminals achieved a record-breaking throughput of 2.41 million TEUs, underscoring the authority's crucial role in the Port of Colombo's performance.

The Port of Colombo, along with its partner terminals, reached a historic total throughput of 7.78 million TEUs, reaffirming its position as a major gateway for international trade in the region. 

Key contributors to this success included the South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT), which handled 2.02 million TEUs, and the Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT), which led with 3.35 million TEUs, thanks to its deep-water facilities.