Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ), India’s largest integrated transport utility, has launched operations at the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT), in the Port of Colombo.
Developed under a public–private partnership, CWIT is operated by a consortium comprising India’s largest port operator Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd, John Keells Holdings PLC, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, under a 35-year Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) agreement.
The CWIT project represents a significant investment of USD 800 million and features a 1,400-metre quay length and 20-metre depth, enabling the terminal to handle approximately 3.2 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually.
It is the first deep-water terminal in Colombo to be fully automated, designed to enhance cargo handling capabilities, improve vessel turnaround times and elevate the port’s status as a key transshipment hub in South Asia.
Construction work began in early 2022 and has since achieved rapid progress.
Chairperson, John Keells Group, Krishan Balendra said, “This project is one of the John Keells Group’s largest investments and is among the most significant private-sector investments in Sri Lanka.”
