SLPA invites bids for container terminal

Colombo: The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has issued a long-awaited call for bids for a container terminal in a new deep-draught port being built next to the existing Colombo harbour.

Proposals have been called from international or local firms or consortia to design, build, finance, manage, operate and transfer the new container terminal to be developed in the new Colombo South Harbour being built west of the existing port.

All of Sri Lanka's top conglomerates submitted proposals for the project when bids were first called more than a year ago. But the bids were cancelled over disagreements on the winning bidder, generating much controversy.

A consortium led by Singapore's PSA Corp, in which local conglomerate Aitken Spence was a member, was chosen by the government negotiating team but the SLPA preferred HPH of Hong Kong which bid on its own.

The new port is meant to handle bigger vessels now being designed or already deployed on trade routes as the existing facilities in Colombo are inadequate.

The project is meant to help Colombo retain and enhance its position as a trans-shipment port for cargo in the Indian subcontinent.

The new port is designed to accommodate vessels with an overall length of 400metres, beam of 55metres and draught of 16metres, according to an advertisement published by the SLPA.

Bids will be opened by the Cabinet appointed negotiating committee on behalf of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority on May 19.

Construction of the breakwaters for the new port is underway with funding mainly by the Asian Development Bank.

South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company is doing the breakwater and dredging under the supervision of Britain's Scott Wilson.

The new harbour will be served by a two-way channel with a depth of 20metres and width of 570metres.
In the first phase of construction, the breakwaters will enclose a basin area of 285hectares which will support three new terminals, each with a quay length of 1.2 kilometres and a land area of 58 hectares.

The basin will be dredged to a depth of 18metres with provision to deepen it to 21metres should a new generation of deep-draught vessels come into operation.