Eastern container terminal phase III comes inline

Colombo, Jan. 23 (Daily Mirror) - The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) commenced operations of Phase III of the Eastern Container Terminal (CECT) today (23), marking a key milestone in the government’s programme to develop the Port of Colombo into a regionally competitive maritime hub.

With the completion of Phase III, 1,090 metres of the terminal’s total 1,300-metre length have now been completed, while 82 per cent of the remaining construction work is also finished. The opening of this phase enables the Eastern Container Terminal to handle three container vessels simultaneously.

Operations officially began with the arrival of a container vessel belonging to the CMA CGM Group, which is currently undergoing container handling at the terminal, marking the inauguration of the third phase.

In 2025, the Eastern Container Terminal alone handled more than 500,000 container operations. With the commissioning of the new terminal section, the SLPA expects container handling at the Eastern Terminal to exceed 1.5 million operations in 2026. This expansion is expected to further strengthen the Port of Colombo’s position as a leading re-export hub in the South Asian region.

The SLPA stated that the commencement of Phase III of the CECT will make a significant contribution to national economic development. The progress has been achieved in line with the new government’s policies, supported by improved efficiency in port development activities, increased employee participation, and strengthened administrative practices.