Sri Lanka Extends Bidding for Terminal

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority has extended the bidding deadline for its proposed South Harbor container terminal project, near Colombo, from May 19 to June 16.

The move came after prospective bidders requested authorities allow more time to study tender documents.

Officials said nearly 15 international and domestic companies have already purchased tender documents, after SLPA issued a new Request for Qualifications in February. Notable interested bidders are A.P. Moller-Maersk, APL and Hutchison Port Holdings.

The authority’s initial bidding process in 2007 hit a roadblock after the government-appointed committee failed to select a final bidder of the four shortlisted consortiums that included Singapore's PSA International and Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings.

The new facility, to be developed on a design-build-finance-manage-operate-transfer basis, will have three berths, providing for annual capacity of 2.4 million TEUs.

Part of the Colombo Port Expansion Project, the 12-berth South Harbor hub will eventually have three terminals, each with a quay length of 1,200 meters, and draft of 18 meters with a provision to increase to 21 meters, allowing larger ships to berth.

Bids for the next two phases, covering eastern and western terminals, will be invited at a later stage.

Colombo currently has three terminals; the state-owned Jaya Container Terminal and Unity Container Terminal, and the South Asia Gateway Terminal operated by Dubai's DP World, with a combined capacity of 4 million TEUs.