November 02, 2022 [Economy Next] – Sri Lanka’s Colombo West International Terminal, a joint venture between India’s Adani group and John Keells Holdings has started dredging work, its Chief Executive, Harikrishnan Sundaram said.

The project was delayed because some contractors were not willing to come due to the economic crisis in Sri Lanka and currency problems, he told the Colombo International Maritime & Logistics Conference.

However the first phase of the project is still expected to be completed in the second half of 2024, he said.

Phase 1 would add a capacity of 1.5 million twenty foot equivalent units to Colombo Port.

But dredging had started on October 22.

A contract for jetty work had also been awarded that work was expected to begin in the next two to three weeks, he said.

The WCT was given to Indian firm for a JV after former Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa unilaterally cancelled a signed deal to give partially built East Container terminal (ECT) in early 2021. (Colombo/Nov1/2022)

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