Sri Lanka
2.1.1 Sri Lanka Port of Colombo
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Port Overview

Port of Colombo is the largest and the busiest port in Sri Lanka which is located in Colombo. It is a continuously growing maritime hub which is located in a strategic position in the Indian ocean thus lies in the routes connecting Europe, East and South Asia, the Persian Gulf, and East Africa. Port of Colombo is primarily a container handling port which underwent a modernizing process in 1980. It consists of 5 terminals operated by 3 companies.

Port website: Sri Lanka Port Authority Website

Key port information can also be found atMaritime Database information on Port of Colombo

Port Location and Contact

Country

Sri Lanka

Province or District

Colombo

Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port

Colombo (5km)

Port's Complete Name

Port of Colombo

Latitude

6.939561

Longitude

79.846080

Managing Company or Port Authority

Sri Lanka Ports Authority

  • Jaya Container Terminal (JCT)
  • Unity Container Terminal (UCT)
  • Passenger Terminal
  • East Container Terminal (ECT)

South Asia Gateway Terminal (Pvt) Ltd

South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT)

Colombo International Container Terminals (LTD)

Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT)

Management Contact Person

General (Retd) R. M. Daya Ratnayake,
(Chairman)
T.P: +94 11 2325559,
Fax: +94 11 2451916

Email: chairman@slpa.lk
https://www.slpa.lk/port-colombo/board-of-directors

Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures

Airport: Bandaranaike International Airport

Airlines: Sri Lankan Airlines

 

Port Picture



Description and Contacts of Key Companies

The terminal operating companies at the port of Colombo are Sri Lanka ports Authority, South Asian Gateway Terminal (Pvt) Ltd and Colombo International Container Terminal (Pvt) Ltd. These companies provide facilities like providing infrastructure for loading and unloading, navigating, and storage in order for clearance. Sri Lanka customs office provide services of screening and adding taxes. Other than that, there is the Sri Lanka Navy to provide security, and Premier shipping (Pvt) Ltd to provide stevedoring services.

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List.

Port Performance

Seasonal Constraints


Occurs

Time Frame

Rainy Season

n/a

n/a

Major Import Campaigns

n/a

n/a

Other Comments

n/a

Handling Figures for 2018

Vessel Calls

4,331

Container Traffic (TEUs)

7,047,486 (+13.5%)

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2016

Bulk (MT)

2,572,000

Break bulk (MT)

879,000


Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

For information on port rates and charges, please see the following link: https://www.slpa.lk/application_resources/other/Tariff_2019.pdf

Berthing Specifications

Jaya Container Terminal

Type of Berth

Quantity

Length (m)

Maximum Draft (m)

Comments

Conventional Berth

No




Container Berth

4

1, 292 m

12-15 m


Silo Berth

no




Berthing Tugs

7+3

n/a

n/a

3 berths operated by private parties.

Water Barges

2

n/a

n/a


 Unity Container Terminal

Type of Berth

Quantity

Length (m)

Maximum Draft (m)

Comments

Conventional Berth

n/a




Container Berth

2

1,292 m

12-15 m


Silo Berth

n/a




Berthing Tugs

n/a




Water Barges

n/a




South Asia Gateway Terminal

Type of Berth

Quantity

Length (m)

Maximum Draft (m)

Comments

Conventional Berth

n/a




Container Berth

3

940 m

15 m

n/a

Silo Berth

n/a




Berthing Tugs

n/a




Water Barges

n/a




Colombo International Container Terminal

Type of Berth

Quantity

Length (m)

Maximum Draft (m)

Comments

Conventional Berth

n/a




Container Berth

4

1,200 m

18 m

n/a

Silo Berth

n/a




Berthing Tugs

n/a




Water Barges

n/a




More information at: https://www.slpa.lk/port-colombo/terminals

General Cargo Handling Berths

Cargo Type

Berth Identification

Imports - Bagged Cargo

1

Exports - Bagged Cargo

n/a

Imports and Exports - RoRo

n/a

Other Imports

n/a

Port Handling Equipment

Jaya Container Terminal

Equipment are managed by Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

Equipment

Available

Total Quantity and Capacity Available

Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage

Dockside Crane

No



Container Gantries

Yes

Total: 20 units

35.5T: 12 units

41T: 4 units

50T: 2 units

Available in both Panamax and super post Panamax.

At present, 2 units of  35.5T are out of service.

Mobile Cranes

Yes

130T: 1 unit

80T: 1 unit

n/a

Reach-stacker

No



RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)

Yes

210

n/a

Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines

No



Transtainer

Yes

63

4 units of rail mounted gantry cranes

59 rubber-tired gantry cranes 

Forklifts

Yes

24

n/a

 

Unity Container Terminal

Equipments are managed by Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

Equipment

Available

Total Quantity and Capacity Available

Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage

Dockside Crane

No



Container Gantries

Yes

35T: 3 units

n/a

Mobile Cranes

Yes



Reach-stacker

No



RoRo Tug master (with Trailer)

Yes

45

n/a

Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines

No



Transtainer

Yes

08

n/a

Forklifts

Yes

24

n/a

South Asia Gateway Terminal

Equipments are managed by South Asian Gateway Terminal (Pvt) Ltd

Equipment

Available

Total Quantity and Capacity Available

Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage

Dockside Crane

Yes

12

9 units of super post Panamax and 3 Nos of post Panamax.

All the cranes are available for operations.

Container Gantries

No



Mobile Cranes

n/a



Reach-stacker

Yes

1

Full container – Fantuzzi

Available for operations

RoRo Tug master (with Trailer)

Yes

70

Available for operations

Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines

No



Transtainer

Yes

37

Available for operations

Forklifts

Yes

2

Available for operations


Colombo International Container Terminal

Equipment are managed by Colombo International Container Terminal (Pvt) Ltd.

Equipment

Available

Total Quantity and Capacity Available

Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage

Dockside Crane

No



Container Gantries

Yes

14 (65T)

11 units of super post Panamax and 3 units of post Panamax

Mobile Cranes

N/A

N/A


Reach-stacker

Yes

2


RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)

Yes

82


Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines

No



Transtainer

Yes

37


Forklifts

Yes

4


Container Facilities

Port of Colombo provide many container facilities such as consolidation, storage facilities and handling. The port can handle 20 ft, 40 ft and 45 ft containers and 3 companies which overlooks 4 terminals provide these facilities. The facilities are in good condition.

Jaya Container Terminal

Facilities

20 ft

40 ft

Container Facilities Available

53,990 TEUs of dry container capacity

n/a

Container Freight Station (CFS)

15,000 m2

n/a

Refrigerated Container Stations

1548

n/a

Other Capacity Details

45.5 Hectares

n/a

Daily Take Off Capacity

n/a

n/a

Number of Reefer Stations

n/a

1548

Emergency Take-off Capacity

n/a

n/a

Off take Capacity of Gang Shift

n/a

n/a

Unity Container Terminal

Facilities

20 ft

40 ft

Container Facilities Available

8,000 TEUs of dry container capacity

n/a

Container Freight Station (CFS)

n/a

n/a

Refrigerated Container Stations

n/a

n/a

Other Capacity Details

1.53 Hectares

n/a

Daily Take Off Capacity

n/a

n/a

Number of Reefer Stations

n/a

n/a

Emergency Take-off Capacity

n/a

n/a

Off take Capacity of Gang Shift

n/a

n/a

South Asia Gateway Terminal

Facilities

20 ft

40 ft

Container Facilities Available

5,004 TEUs of dry container capacity

n/a

Container Freight Station (CFS)

n/a

n/a

Refrigerated Container Stations

540

n/a

Other Capacity Details

12 Hectares

n/a

Daily Take Off Capacity

n/a

n/a

Number of Reefer Stations

n/a

n/a

Emergency Take-off Capacity

n/a

n/a

Off take Capacity of Gang Shift

n/a

n/a


Customs Guidance

Sri Lanka customs headquarters is located at a walking distance from the port of Colombo. The customs administration is a department under the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media. The main activities of the customs at the port are Collection of revenue, prevention of revenue leakages and other frauds, facilitation of legitimate trade, collection of import and export data to provide statistics and cooperation and coordination with other Government Departments and stakeholders in respect of imports and exports. Before exporting a good custom declaration document should be submitted along with other documents. (Information regarding the documents needed is available at: http://www.customs.gov.lk/exports/support_doc). The cusdec is an important document which should be produced to the customs. It is a document based on the internationally recognized Single Administrative Document (SAD).

 

For more information on customs in Sri Lanka, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information. 

Terminal Information

Multipurpose Terminal

The only multipurpose terminal available in the Port of Colombo is the Unity Terminal operated by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. It includes 2 container berths and 1 multipurpose berth.

Grain and Bulk Handling

N/a

Main Storage Terminal

N/a 

Stevedoring

Stevedoring was done by wharf companies before, but currently it is done by the Premier Shipping (Pvt) Ltd. The stevedoring activities include multi country container consolidation operations outside the port and within the port, container handling, and conventional cargo operations. Stevedoring charges can be found at: https://www.slpa.lk/application_resources/other/Tariff_2019.pdf

Hinterland Information

Goods are moved out of the port in container trucks. There are 6 container freight stations which has 2 ASCC each. The 6 container freight stations are DHL Global Forwarding Lanka Pvt Ltd., Ace Distriparks Pvt Ltd., Logilink Pvt Ltd., Expo Lanka Freight, Maersk Logistics Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. and Global Transportation and Logistics (Pvt) Ltd. Thereby goods move out from these container freight stations in their own trucks.

Port Security

Security standards of the port is established according to the SOLAS convention of International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The port is ISPS compliant. The security of the port is under the Sri Lankan Navy. It started in 2004 when a navy base was established at the Colombo port. The security team is responsible for the vehicles and people coming in and out. According to the situation of the country the security methods changes and currently CCTV cameras are used. However, for fire situations Colombo port has a special ship complaint with fire extinguishing facilities.

Security

ISPS Compliant

Yes

Current ISPS Level
(Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)

1

Police Boats

Yes

Fire Engines

Yes

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