Sri Lanka Ports Authority completes $100 million Container Handling Equipment upgrade

09 Jan 2012 - Port Planning

• SLPA completes project after receiving final consignment of 50 yard tractors

• Upgrade of CHE began in 2009 and consisted of three phases

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has announced that it has completed its Container Handling Equipment (CHE) upgrade project worth over US$100 million by receiving the final consignment of 50 yard tractors.

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 started in mid-2009 and consisted of three phases.

Under Phase I, the SLPA received three Ship-to-shore Cranes and six RTG cranes from Zhenhua Port Machinery Co., Ltd. (ZPMC) in China in April 2011.

Under phase II, in November 2011, it received another three ship-to-shore Cranes and twenty four RTG Cranes from the same company in China and under phase III SLPA received fifty yard tractors from Terberg Tractors in Malaysia 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).

The SLPA CHE Upgrade Project culminated with the arrival of the consignment of Yard Tractors and in a special key handing over ceremony held at JCT, the milestone event was marked with the handing over of a key to Ports and Highways Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardana, in the presence of SLPA Chairman, Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama, SLPA Managing Director Capt. Nihal Keppetipola and other SLPA officials.

“The SLPA evolved its operational systems from time to time to suit handling requirements. Now our state-of-the-art computer system with DGPS and RFID usage is fully functional and operational. With this CHE upgrade, I am fully confident that the SLPA continues to be the benchmark for many container terminals in the world,” said Wickrama when addressing the gathering.

“Today, it is one of the most modern and organized ports in South Asia, with the latest equipment and a user-friendly state-of-the-art infrastructure for delivering fast, reliable and efficient world-class service” he added.