Sri Lanka’s CECT handles world- class container vessel
The Morning: The arrival of the MSC Mariella, one of the world’s largest container ships, at the Colombo East Container Terminal (CECT) marked a critical test of Sri Lanka’s port infrastructure amid fierce regional competition.
The 399.9-metre-long vessel, with a capacity of 24,346 TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent units), is the biggest to ever dock in Colombo, demonstrating the port’s ability to accommodate ultra-large container ships (ULCVs).
Colombo, handling over seven million TEUs annually, is South Asia’s largest transshipment hub, but has faced declining volumes due to India’s push for self-reliance in port capacity and shipping route shifts post-Red Sea crisis.
The successful berthing of the MSC Mariella, part of Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) fleet, validates Colombo’s deep-water capabilities.
The Colombo East Container Terminal (CECT), operated by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), is equipped with Ship-to-Shore (STS) gantry cranes capable of handling ULCVs.
However, Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT), a China-backed deep-water terminal, has historically handled the largest vessels.
Sri Lanka’s ports contribute 6% to GDP, with transshipment accounting for 70% of Colombo’s volumes, mostly Indian cargo.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s maritime industry is on a fast-track to pushing the country into becoming a maritime hub in the South Asian region. The country’s strategic positioning in the Indian Ocean, the strong trade ties enjoyed with many foreign countries and the expansion as well as development programmes targeting the local maritime industry have all served to expand the industry and related sectors. Several sectors that have shown expansion and business/investment opportunities are the ports, shipping and logistics sectors. Sri Lanka is in the process of developing the capacity of the ports in the country to enable them to uplift the logistics sectors to be on par with global maritime standards. While the development programmes in the ports, shipping and logistics sectors have opened up a host of direct business/investment opportunities in fields like the development of infrastructure and supplementary infrastructure facilities, there are also many indirect opportunities for foreign businesses/investors. The growth and business potential in Sri Lanka’s maritime industry is further evident by the many foreign maritime businesses that have entered the local industry. Given the growth and profits recorded by local businesses in the maritime industry, foreign businesses/investors could also look at expanding operations through local collaborations.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20250507/Z_3 |