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Thursday, July 09, 2009 - 07.45 GMT |
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Hambantota Port to start operations by end 2010 |
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Sri
Lanka
Ports
Authority
(SLPA)
is
planning
to start
operating
its
upcoming
Port in
Hambantota
by
November
2010,
said
Ports
Authority
Chairman,
Dr.
Priyath
B.
Wickrema.
The
construction
work of
the Port
in the
Deep
South is
“5
months
ahead of
the
scheduled
completion
date”
and will
see the
completion
of the
1st
phase
construction
by 2009
October,
he said.
Wickrema
also
said “
we have
completed
more
than 50%
key
wall,
40%
Excavation
work,
100% of
the
Breakwater
construction”
while
added
that
once
completed
the 1st
phase
will
consist
of 2
general
purpose
berths,
one
Bunkering
berth
and a
small
Craft
berth
which
will be
120
meters
long."
SLPA is
planning
to call
Requests
for
proposals
during
next
month
from
willing
investors
to
invest
in
projects
such as
Cement
Bagging
&
Grinding,
Fertilizer
Bagging,
warehousing,
Bulk
Transshipment,
Car
Transshipment
and Car
assembling
projects,
a BOI
press
release
issued
on July
9 said.
The
investors
can
either
enter
into a
Joint
venture
with
SLPA, or
get
involved
in
Build,
Operate
and
Transfer
projects
or run
their
own
operations
on
leased
out
lands
that is
coming
under
the
Hambantota
port.
Dr.
Wickrema
says
Hambantota
port has
ample
land
space
available
running
up to
2000
hectares,
5 times
bigger
than
Colombo
leaving
room for
continuous
Expansion.
He also
said
they are
looking
to
establish
a Food
processing
company
in
Hambantota
to cater
to the
vessels
arriving
at the
port.
The
Chairman
added,
at the
moment
10 to 12
investors
from
countries
like
China,
Australia,
India
and
Russia
is
speaking
with
them on
possible
investment
opportunities
and has
handed
over
preliminary
proposals.
According
to
Wickrema
Hambantota
will
start
Bunkering
either
during
this
year or
early
part of
next
year and
Bunkering
is going
to be
the main
revenue
stream
at the
new
port.
First
phase of
the Port
will
cost 437
million
dollars
which
85% of
it comes
from
China.
The Port
is built
by a
joint
venture
between
China
Harbor
Engineering
and Syno
Hydro
Corporation.
While
the Tank
farm
also
been
built by
a
Chinese
Firm.
Hambantota
port
will be
a free
port
where
operators
will not
be
“taxed”,
Wickrema
said
along
with
that and
the
Geographical
advantage
upcoming
port
will
give a
good
competition
to ports
such as
Jebal
Ali and
Singapore.
Sri
Lanka
has
planned
a 3
phase
development
program
for the
Port,
which
once
completed
will be
able to
handle
20
million
TEU’s.
However
Wickrema
said the
2nd and
the 3rd
phase
expansion
will
depend
on the
demand
the new
port
receives.
SLPA
says
nearly
200
vessels
pass
Hambantota
every
day,
which is
situated
closer
to a
prime
international
shipping
route.
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