Sri Lanka Ports Authority completes night navigation project at the Trincomalee Port
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has reportedly installed the night navigation project at the Trincomalee Port in the country’s eastern coast.
The Trincomalee harbour, which is a natural deep-water harbour is considered the fifth largest natural harbour in the world.
According to the SLPA, night navigation has been installed at the Trincomalee harbour with assistance from the Japanese government amounting to Japanese Yen 1 billion, which was extended to the government of Sri Lanka as a grant.
“This enables the Trincomalee harbour to handle deep drafts and doubles its capacity. This also makes the port operational 24 hours,” Sri Lanka’s Ports Minister Ratnayaka has said.
“This would not have been possible without the invaluable assistance of Japan. I extend my sincere gratitude to them,” he has further noted.
The local media has reported that during the implementation of the project, two 500 KW generators have been installed at the jetty and the yard of the Trincomalee port in order to facilitate night navigation and while Japan had provided the light equipment, the SLPA had invested close to Rs. 80 million to construct radar towers.
A senior SLPA official has been quoted as telling the local media that Japan had also provided the Trincomalee Port with a pilot boat aiming to improve efficiency of the port.
According to Minister Ratnayaka, installing night navigation would be the beginning of a new chapter for the Trincomalee Port, which suffered due to the long-drawn civil war in the country.
“The National Ports Master Plan lays out a comprehensive development plan for the Trincomalee port and we will tap into its full potential. The area around the Trincomalee will be identified and developed as an export hub,” Ratnayaka has explained.
“The Trincomalee port is well-positioned to handle dry bulk cargos for the country. Especially with the planned corridor development and rail connections, the port can emerge as important dry bulk and general cargo port. The establishment of a refinery and power stations would create an additional node in Sri Lanka’s industrial development,” the Minister has added.
Ratnayaka has also noted that night operations at the Galle Port will also be launched soon.
OSL take:
The government of Sri Lanka has given priority to the upliftment and development of the country’s shipping and maritime sectors. Sri Lankan authorities are engaged in establishing the country as a maritime hub in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean and the many trade agreements as well as the trade concessions enjoyed by the country have made the island the ideal business hub in South Asia.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20191107/Z_4 |