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In the first quarter of 2025, the first cargo ship is anticipated to arrive at the Adani-John Keells Holding (JKH) West Container Terminal (WCT) in Colombo Port, Sri Lanka.
The first cargo ship is likely to reach Sri Lanka’s Adani-John Keells Holding (JKH) West Container Terminal (WCT) in Colombo Port in the first quarter of 2025, Sri Lankan news website The Morning Online reported, quoting JKH chairperson Krishan Balendra.
According to Mr. Balendra, the arrival of the vessel will increase the port’s capacity by 1.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
He stated at the JKH investor webinar for Q2 of fiscal 2025 that the first phase of the WCT, which will add 1.5 million TEUs to the 8 million TEU capacity at Colombo Port, is probably going to be operational in Q1 of 2025.
According to him, WCT’s first shipment of quay and yard cranes arrived in September, and the cranes should be fully commissioned by the fourth quarter of 2024.
According to the JKH quarterly report, the first phase’s quay length will allow for the simultaneous servicing of two large vessels, resulting in a higher throughput after the first phase is finished.
According to the report, “the remainder of the terminal is expected to be completed by mid-2026,”
According to Mr. Balendra, it is unclear when the East Container Terminal (ECT), which is operated by the Sri Lanka Port Authority, will go into operation. Only a portion of the terminal would be operational even if ECT were to go online, he continued, and the Colombo Port’s capacity expansion would not be significant for that portion.
Once fully operationalised, the ECT project is anticipated to increase the Colombo Port’s capacity by up to 2.4 million TEUs.