The East Container Terminal (ECT), the latest addition to the Colombo port via the Colombo South Habour Project took the headlines a while ago when it came across some serious surveillance of drama regarding its future. Is it important to Sri Lanka? Why it is important? and What future stands for the Colombo Harbour East Container Terminal? Let’s find some answers to these questions which will eventually guide us to resolve the mystery of the ECT.
What is East Container Terminal?
The East Container Terminal is one of the seven terminals in Colombo port and is the terminal with the most depth. It is under the complete authority of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).
The main purpose of the terminal was to handle huge amounts of cargo efficiently from the vessels that come to its quay where it even consists of briefer points to handle DC cargo. Initially, the idea of the terminal came along as part of the Colombo South Harbour Project along the Colombo International Container Terminal. Work on the ECT was designed to be completed in two stages.
Work on Stage One of the ECT has been completed and Stage Two will be completed by 2024 for the terminal to function at its full potential.
Characteristics
• Date commissioned - 2020
• Water depth at the quay- C.D.-18m
• Quay wall length (Stage – 0I)- 450m
• Quay wall Capacity - 12,000 TEU
• The maximum-sized vessel - 18,000 TEU that can be handled
• The area of (Stage – I) - 260,000m2
• Major shipping lines that work with ECT - MSC / COSCO
• Number of Gantry/ Quay Cranes - 03
• Number of RTG (Rubber Tired Gantry) - 21
• Number of employees per shift - 62
• Other facilities - operation building, gatehouse, workshop building and substation
By the end of the first decade of the 21 st century, the need for a more complex and viable terminal to keep up in the race to maintain Colombo port’s standards as one of the leading ports in Asia was felt. This was due to the reason that at the time, Colombo harbour didn’t have a deep harbour terminal to facilitate modern-day large vessels and future vessels that will require an excessive amount of depth and the existing terminal could not satisfy that requirement due to its limited depth.
The Colombo South Harbour Project was launched to keep up the functionality of Colombo harbour to modern-day requirements to maintain and increase the number of ships that the harbour can facilitate as well as to ensure the future of the port as a premium naval destination.
The project mainly consisted of three terminals: CICT, ECT and WCT. Along the terminals, all the utilities such as roads, breakwaters, harbour entrances, and all the others that were up to requirement were set up. The ECT was one of the two terminals that were done first in the CSP project along the CICT.
It was the most crucial initiative for Sri Lanka in the CSP. Construction work on phase two of the ECT terminal project was launched in 2013. The ECT was commissioned into operation by the end of 2019 only with stage one in operation.
Importance
• The ECT is one crucial terminal for the future of Colombo port due to its capacity to handle gigantic ships. This has paved the way for the country to handle large modern-day ships as well as any amount of cargo efficiently to keep up with the growing world and its navigation lookouts. When large modern vessels come to Sri Lankan shores through the ECT, the country’s earning potentials will get greater.
• The ECT is going to define the future of the Colombo Port due to the reason that this is the only deep harbour owned by the SLPA.
• The ECT will be a vital facility for Sri Lanka to achieve a navigational hub status due to its international standards and the reputation it has gained as an efficient terminal.
• The UCT, JCT, SAGT, CICT, BQ, WCT, and the ECT are the seven terminals owned by Colombo harbour. The UCT doesn’t have the capability to handle cargo ships where it only deals with bulk supplies of fuel, coconut oil, cement, and flour while the BQ only caters to loose cargo. The JCT, ECT, SAGT, and the CICT are the main four important terminals. The SAGT and the CICT are not under the Ports Authority.
• The ECT and the JCT are the only two terminals that bring profits to Sri Lanka through the ports authority.
Construction work on the second phase of the ECT began at the beginning of this year by the China Harbour Corporation. Work will be completed by 2024.