Colombo Port expands facilities

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority said it had expanded facilities to bunker and ship fuelling at the Colombo Port with the addition of another berth for oil tankers that will reduce delays. Colombo Port’s New North Pier, which has been developed as a multi-purpose berth, handled its first oil tanker on the 30th of last month with a call by the vessel ‘MT Haven’.

A new oil pump pipe line system has been built connecting the pier with other facilities for oil transportation.

Extra berthing facilities will be provided for the oil tankers reaching Colombo for bunkering purposes, with this latest project,. The shortage of berths for tankers has been a critical issue the shipping community had been complaining about and had held back the expansion of the ship fuel market. The extra berth will reduce delays in loading and unloading oil tankers, and eventually reduce costs.

The Ports Authority hopes the new facilities will boost bunkering business at Colombo Port and improve foreign exchange earnings. It said it was building two new oil storage tanks at the Colombo port ‘oil bank’ to boost capacity to improve bunkering facilities at the Port.

Courtesy: Government Information Department