Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya inaugurated Phase II of the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) on October 1, 2026, increasing the terminal’s annual handling capacity from 1.6 million to 3.2 million TEUs.
Developed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in partnership with John Keells Holdings and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), the expansion takes the total investment in CWIT to US$750 million.
Phase II enables three ultra-large vessels to berth simultaneously
Following the expansion, CWIT can berth three ultra-large container vessels at the same time. The additional capacity is expected to strengthen the terminal’s role in transhipment operations along the East-West trade corridor.
CWIT aims to handle close to 25% of the Port of Colombo’s targeted 13 million TEU capacity by 2028.
CWIT handles 2 million TEUs in 18 months
CWIT handled 2 million TEUs during its first 18 months of operations, according to APSEZ. The terminal had previously become the fastest terminal at the Port of Colombo to reach 1 million TEUs, achieving the milestone during its first year.
The terminal is described as Sri Lanka’s first fully automated deep-water container terminal. It is designed to handle large container vessels and operates with fully electrified equipment, with zero tailpipe emissions.
CWIT has also recorded 17 million safe working hours since commencing operations.
Terminal developed under 35-year concession
CWIT was developed under a 35-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) concession involving APSEZ, John Keells Holdings and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
The project has created more than 3,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to the companies involved.
Leaders highlight Colombo’s transhipment role
Prime Minister Amarasuriya said the terminal’s development demonstrated the potential of infrastructure investment and partnerships to support Sri Lanka’s objective of strengthening its position as a maritime and logistics hub in the Indian Ocean.
Ashwani Gupta, Whole-Time Director and CEO of APSEZ, said the Phase II expansion represented an important development for the company’s international portfolio. He said the additional capacity would strengthen CWIT’s position in Indian Ocean trade corridors while supporting Sri Lanka’s export-import cargo.
Krishan Balendra, Chairperson of John Keells Group, said the terminal’s 2 million-TEU milestone reflected the development of the partnership and created further capacity for Colombo’s transhipment operations.
CWIT expands APSEZ’s international port network
APSEZ operates four international ports in Australia, Sri Lanka, Israel and Tanzania, in addition to 16 ports and terminals in India.
The company has a reported current capacity of 653 million tonnes per annum and handles around 27% of India’s port volumes. APSEZ has set a target of reaching 1 billion tonnes of throughput by 2030.
