The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) completed its Container Handling Equipment (CHE) Upgrade Project by receiving the final consignment of 50 yard tractors on Wednesday.

The previous consignments consisted of ship-to-shore cranes and Rubber-Tyred-Gantry (RTG) cranes used for transferring containers between stacks in the yard.

The CHE upgrade project which was started in mid 2009 consisted of three phases. Under Phase I, the SLPA received three Ship-to-shore Cranes and six RTG cranes in April 2011. Under phase II, in November 2011, it received another three ship-to-shore Cranes and twenty four RTG Cranes and under phase III SLPA received fifty yard tractors in December 2011.

Almost all the Ship-to-shore Cranes and RTGs have now been deployed for operation in SLPA-controlled Jaye Container Terminal (JCT).