Sri Lanka - 2.1.4 Port of Galle
Port Overview
Galle Port, located on Sri Lanka's south-western coast, is the oldest natural harbour in the country and has served as one of the country's most active regional ports. The port covers an artificial harbour area of 320 ha and operates throughout 24 hours. The principal imports are palm oil, rice, flour, fertilisers, slag, cement, clinker, and gypsum. There are no exports. The port is also the only Sri Lankan port that provides facilities for pleasure yachts.
With a history dating back to pre-Christian times, Galle port gained prominence in the 12th century and became Sri Lanka's most important harbour by the 14th century. Its significance continued until late 19th century, when an artificial harbour and breakwaters were built in Colombo, channelling a substantial amount of maritime activity away from Galle Port. Despite becoming a secondary port, Galle Port still handles some ships and boats.
The Galle Port Development Project (GPDP) has been planned to enhance the infrastructure and safe water area in the port, leveraging its strategic location to develop as a regional port for commercial and tourism purposes. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) plans to develop the port to meet increasing freight handling demands and establish it as an international regional destination, including the construction of a deep-water passenger vessel terminal, breakwaters, and fully-fledged Yacht Marina. Successfully completed in 2015, Phase I (A) of the project consists of development of basic facilities of Yacht Marina with berthing facility for 22 Yachts of 15m long and 3m draft with facilities of services and repair facility with a workshop. Phase II of the project aims to develop Galle Port as a commercial leisure port, featuring a 900m breakwater, a 300m multi-purpose berth, and recreational facilities such as whale/coral watching, boat services, restaurants, and hotels.
Port website: https://www.slpa.lk/port-colombo/galle
Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com
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Port Location and Contact |
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|---|---|
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Country |
Sri Lanka |
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Province or District |
Galle |
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Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port |
Galle (3.7 km) |
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Port's Complete Name |
Galle Port |
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Latitude |
6.034294 |
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Longitude |
80.231886 |
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Managing Company or Port Authority |
Sri Lanka Ports Authority |
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Management Contact Person |
Resident Manager / Dy. Harbour Master Capt. Sajeewa C. Wimalasiri Tel: +94 912234963 Mob: +94 718688357 Fax: +94 912246494 Email: sajeewawimalasiri@slpa.lk |
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Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures |
Bandaranaike International Airport |
Port Picture
Description and Contacts of Key Companies
Galle Port is under the management of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). The security services are handled by the Sri Lanka Navy and stevedoring operations are entrusted to Premier Shipping (Pvt) Ltd.
For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List
Port Performance
Seasonal Constraints
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Occurs |
Time Frame |
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|---|---|---|
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Rainy Season |
Yes |
From May to September |
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Major Import Campaigns |
N/A |
N/A |
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Other Comments |
Galle Bay experiences significant swells during the Southwest monsoon season. |
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Handling Figures for 2017 |
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|---|---|
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Vessel Calls |
87 |
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Container Traffic (TEUs) |
N/A |
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Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2021 |
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|---|---|
|
Bulk (MT) |
106,000 |
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Break bulk (MT) |
N/A |
Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges
For information on port rates and charges, please refer to the following link: https://www.slpa.lk/uploads/article_attachment/attachment_2022_05_04_16516462931651646460.pdf. This booklet contains the Tariff Charges applicable for the year 2022, to all Ports, serviced by Sri Lanka Ports Authority approved, under section 37(1) of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Act No. 51 of 1979.
Berthing Specifications
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Type of Berth |
Quantity |
Length (m) |
Maximum Draft (m) |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Conventional Berth |
1 |
Closenburg Jetty: Maximum: Draft 7.3m // LOA 130m New Pier: Maximum: Draft 7.3m // LOA 130m New Pier Cross: Maximum: Draft 7.3m // LOA 130m |
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Container Berth |
N/A |
|
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Silo Berth |
N/A |
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Berthing Tugs |
N/A |
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Water Barges |
N/A |
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Port Handling Equipment
Vessels should be geared (No crane availability).
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Equipment |
Available |
Total Quantity and Capacity Available |
Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
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Dockside Crane |
N/A |
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Container Gantries |
N/A |
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Mobile Cranes |
Yes |
1 x 20 MT |
|
|
Reachstacker |
N/A |
||
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RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer) |
N/A |
||
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Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines |
N/A |
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Transtainer |
N/A |
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Forklifts |
N/A |
Container Facilities
Galle Port primarily focuses on non-containerized cargo handling.
Customs Guidance
Sri Lanka customs headquarters is located at a walking distance from the port of Colombo. The customs administration is a department coming 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 importing or exporting goods, custom declaration document should be submitted along with other documents. (Information regarding the documents needed is available at: https://www.customs.gov.lk/business/). The Customs Declaration (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
N/A
GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING
N/A
MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL
Galle Port possesses two warehouse facilities with a total capacity of 1,226,667 ft³.
Stevedoring
Stevedoring services at Galle Port are provided by Premier Shipping (Pvt) Ltd., a privately-owned company that serves as the port's stevedoring contractor. The services available encompass freight forwarding, chartering, ship bunkering, offshore management, supply of stores and provisions, as well as acting as a shipping agent. For further information, please visit the company’s website at: https://www.premierlk.com/shipping/home
Hinterland Information
N/A
Port Security
The Sri Lankan Navy is responsible for ensuring port security.
|
Security |
|
|---|---|
|
ISPS Compliant |
Yes |
|
Current ISPS Level |
1 |
|
Police Boats |
Yes |
|
Fire Engines |
Yes |