SLPA signs consultancy service agreement with AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has reportedly signed a consultancy service agreement to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed Colombo North Port development project with AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited.
The SLPA has stated that it required a long term plan for the next 30 years to enhance the additional capacity need for container handing capacity of around 35 m TEU.
“The development of Port of Colombo has focused on the demand for container Transshipment and related logistics businesses instead of the growth of the domestic market. As the Port of Colombo is situated in the commercial city of Colombo, finding an area for container transshipment and logistics development is a challenging issue for the Port industry,” the SLPA has said in a statement.
“SLPA needs a long term plan for the next 30 years to enhance the additional capacity need for container handing capacity of around 35 m TEU. In consideration of these issues, Sri Lanka Ports Authority has planned to develop a new port, the Colombo North Port, on the northern side of the existing Port of Colombo. The proposed Colombo North Port may spread from the Kelani River in the Modara area, up to the existing northern breakwater of the Colombo Port. SLPA intends to use the proposed Colombo North Port for liquid bulk, dry bulk, Ro-Ro, and containers. The North Port has been planned to implement in stages depending on the demand. SLPA focused to provide infrastructure facilities and port services well ahead of the demand,” the statement has further noted.
Accordingly, the SLPA has planned to do a feasibility study for the Colombo North Port Development Project focused on expanding the capacity of container handling while serving all other port servicers expected from the industry.
Under the Transport Project Preparatory Facility funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the SLPA had a portion to use for the Feasibility study related to the proposed Colombo North Port Project and the duration of the study is expected to be 15 months.
The SLPA has initiated the procurement process through Expression of Interest and subsequently the Request for Proposal and selected the consultant for the feasibility study for the Colombo North Port Development Project.
Accordingly, with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, SLPA has signed the agreement with AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited on 20th February 2020.
OSL take:
The development programmes undertaken by the key economic sectors in Sri Lanka have expanded business/economic opportunities in the country. The business opportunities in Sri Lanka vary from consultancy to other services that foreign businesses could offer depending on the respective sector. Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean, the ease of doing business environment in the country and the many trade agreements as well as trade concessions enjoyed by the country have made it an attractive business destination in the South Asian region.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20200303/Z_5 |