Sri Lankan ports expand capacity as Colombo and Hambantota hit major milestones

Sri Lanka is seeing significant expansion in its maritime infrastructure as major ports hit key operational milestones.

The Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) has doubled its annual capacity from 1.6 million to 3.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) following a US$750 million investment. As Sri Lanka’s first fully automated container terminal, CWIT is operated through a partnership between Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, John Keells Holdings, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The terminal aims to eventually support a portion of the Port of Colombo’s 13 million TEU annual target by 2028, leveraging the island's strategic position on East-West shipping routes for transshipment.

Simultaneously, the Hambantota International Port (HIP) has surpassed one million TEUs in cumulative container throughput. Following the commissioning of new quay cranes, the port reported handling 428,036 TEUs in 2025 and 574,196 TEUs in the first half of 2026. HIP is currently investing in equipment, berths, and yard space to prepare for further growth, supported significantly by its principal customer, MSC.