Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06COLOMBO2114
2006-12-22 03:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
COLOMBO PORT TO EXPAND AS MUCH AS 300 PERCENT
how-toVZCZCXRO1986 RR RUEHLMC DE RUEHLM #2114 3560329 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 220329Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5001 INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0404 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9725 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6661 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4721 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2086 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 7225 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1633 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
UNCLAS COLOMBO 002114
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DRL/IL FOR LAUREN HOLT
STATE FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR S GROFF, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE
GENEVA PASS USTR
E.O 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EIND EINV ETRD EWWT EAID CE
SUBJECT: COLOMBO PORT TO EXPAND AS MUCH AS 300 PERCENT
UNCLAS COLOMBO 002114
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DRL/IL FOR LAUREN HOLT
STATE FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR S GROFF, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE
GENEVA PASS USTR
E.O 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EIND EINV ETRD EWWT EAID CE
SUBJECT: COLOMBO PORT TO EXPAND AS MUCH AS 300 PERCENT
1. On December 18, 2006, President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially
inaugurated the commencement of the Colombo Port Expansion Project
(CPEP) at an opening ceremony attended by the U.S. Ambassador.
Cited as the largest development project undertaken by Sri Lanka to
date, the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) hopes the Colombo port will
become South Asia's premier transshipment location. The CPEP, upon
its completion by 2010, will ultimately triple the port's existing
capacity and establish itself as the first port in South Asia to
handle 18,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) ships. According
to the Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) the port will soon reach its
current capacity of 4 million TEU's, with ongoing transshipment
volumes expected to push 2006 volumes up to 3 million TEUs this
month.
2. The CPEP will add four container terminals, each with four
berths. The first terminal will become operational in 2010 and have
a nominal capacity of 2.4 million TEUs, while the other three will
be built as market demands increase. To accommodate deeper vessels,
the harbor basin will be deepened to 18 meters with an access
channel depth of 20 meters. Once completed, the port will have the
capacity to accommodate around 12 million TEUs each year.
3. In the first phase, the CPEP will build the 3-kilometer
breakwater, dredge the harbor basin, and begin construction of the
first container terminal. The Asian Development Bank will provide a
loan of USD 225 million to help finance this first stage of
construction, estimated to cost USD 615 million. The container
terminals will be constructed jointly with the private sector.
Tender documents will be issued internationally as early as December
26, with the construction tender to be awarded around July 2007.
Construction, initially delayed due to lack of funding, is scheduled
to commence the latter half of 2007, with an anticipated
construction period of 39 months.
4. With the U.S. as Sri Lanka's single largest export destination,
the GSL agreed to build a dedicated dry-port facility for US bound
exports. The dry port will be operated as a public-private
partnership. A call for tenders for private management of the
complex will be issued in early 2007.
Blake
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DRL/IL FOR LAUREN HOLT
STATE FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR S GROFF, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE
GENEVA PASS USTR
E.O 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EIND EINV ETRD EWWT EAID CE
SUBJECT: COLOMBO PORT TO EXPAND AS MUCH AS 300 PERCENT
1. On December 18, 2006, President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially
inaugurated the commencement of the Colombo Port Expansion Project
(CPEP) at an opening ceremony attended by the U.S. Ambassador.
Cited as the largest development project undertaken by Sri Lanka to
date, the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) hopes the Colombo port will
become South Asia's premier transshipment location. The CPEP, upon
its completion by 2010, will ultimately triple the port's existing
capacity and establish itself as the first port in South Asia to
handle 18,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) ships. According
to the Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) the port will soon reach its
current capacity of 4 million TEU's, with ongoing transshipment
volumes expected to push 2006 volumes up to 3 million TEUs this
month.
2. The CPEP will add four container terminals, each with four
berths. The first terminal will become operational in 2010 and have
a nominal capacity of 2.4 million TEUs, while the other three will
be built as market demands increase. To accommodate deeper vessels,
the harbor basin will be deepened to 18 meters with an access
channel depth of 20 meters. Once completed, the port will have the
capacity to accommodate around 12 million TEUs each year.
3. In the first phase, the CPEP will build the 3-kilometer
breakwater, dredge the harbor basin, and begin construction of the
first container terminal. The Asian Development Bank will provide a
loan of USD 225 million to help finance this first stage of
construction, estimated to cost USD 615 million. The container
terminals will be constructed jointly with the private sector.
Tender documents will be issued internationally as early as December
26, with the construction tender to be awarded around July 2007.
Construction, initially delayed due to lack of funding, is scheduled
to commence the latter half of 2007, with an anticipated
construction period of 39 months.
4. With the U.S. as Sri Lanka's single largest export destination,
the GSL agreed to build a dedicated dry-port facility for US bound
exports. The dry port will be operated as a public-private
partnership. A call for tenders for private management of the
complex will be issued in early 2007.
Blake