Hambantota port year ahead
The initial phase of the Hambantota port project which originally had an implementing schedule of 39 months would now be completed in 27 months due to enhanced planning by officials, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Priyath Bandu Wickrema said yesterday.
He said the project has attracted both local and foreign investors with 24 of them seeking permission to invest more than US $ 2 billion in various aligned investment friendly projects cement, fertilizer and vehicle assembling factories have been planned with many others in the pipeline, he added.
The harbour would also be used as an industrial iron dump with the intention of transporting material to regional countries. Addressing journalists near the harbour during a sight-seeing visit, Wickrema said the project would generate more than 6,000 direct employment opportunities and more than 100,000 indirect opportunities.
He added that the harbour had the capacity to accommodate even the biggest of cargo ships in the world with a maximum depth capacity exceeding 15.5 metres.
Hambantota Port Development Project that was commenced in January 2008 is scheduled to be completed in April 2011. The project has been implemented with a total construction cost of US $ 360 m of which 85 percent will be granted by the Ex-Im Bank of China. The balance will be invested by the SLPA. The contractor is China Harbour Engineering Co and Sino-Hydro Corporation Joint Venture.
Being a mega development project implemented in Sri Lanka, Hambantota Port Development Project is fully supervised and inspected by the Engineers of SLPA.
Hambantota Port Development Project will be constructed especially enabling to handle 100,000 DWT vessels. It will have an approach channel of 210 metres wide and 17 metres deep. The turning circle at the port will be of a diameter of 610 metres at a depth of 17 metres. The port will also consist of a Service Vessel Berth of 105 metres long, an Oil Terminal Berth of 310 metres long at a 17 metres depth and a Quay Wall (General Cargo) of 600 metres long at a 17 metres depth. The West and East breakwaters constructed for the port are of 988 metres and 312 metres long respectively.
(Source: Daily News – 08 Oct, 2009)