The first fully automated terminal in Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port, Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT), is now operational. Developed under a public–private partnership, CWIT is operated by a consortium comprising India’s largest port operator Adani Ports & SEZ, leading Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, under a 35-year Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) agreement.
The CWIT project represents a substantial investment of around US$ 800 million. It features a 1400m long quay with 20m of water depth alongside and has an annual capacity of around 3.2 million TEU. It is the first deepwater terminal in Colombo to be fully automated and is designed to improve vessel turnaround times and enhance the port’s status as a key transshipment hub in South Asia.
Following Phase 1 completion, the terminal features eight automated ship-to-shore gantry cranes, 18 fully automated rail mounted gantry stacking cranes, and 62 fully electric Internal Terminal Vehicles (ITVs).