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Sri Lanka to become Asian shipping hub with Chinese Support

Lankan Ranger

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Sri Lanka to become Asian shipping hub with Chinese Support

Sri Lanka aims to create an Asian shipping hub capable of competing against Singapore and Dubai by pouring $3.4 billion into expanding ports with Chinese help, after Sri Lanka’s container volumes surged to a record.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has a goal of capitalising on the end of a 26-year civil war to build a trade gateway to emerging markets, and port revenue may almost triple to 72 billion rupees in 2015 from 2010, it has been estimated.

The government forecasts rising cargo levels will enable transportation, including ports, to make up 40 per cent of gross domestic product by 2020, a fourfold gain from last year. Economic growth reached a 32-year high of 8 per cent in 2010 amid Chinese investment in roads and harbours.

Mr Rajapaksa is seeking to take advantage of Sri Lanka’s position, There lie the main shipping lanes linking the Far East, West Asia, Africa and Europe.

Deeper berths, new terminals and increased efficiency in the capital, Colombo, and in southern Hambantota city will allow bigger, super post-Panamax ships to dock and transfer cargo more quickly to and from smaller vessels that carry goods for other emerging markets.

The government is seeking to close the gap with Singapore, the top container port in 2009, and Dubai, which ranked seventh, according to data from London-based Cargo Systems.

Container volume in Sri Lanka surged 22 per cent in 2010 to 4.16 million TEUs.

Last year’s level was a record, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman, Mr Priyath Wickrama, said in a June interview, adding that it is expected to rise 10 per cent in 2011 and as much as 20 per cent next year, with target capacity for the capital and Hambantota combined set at 12.8 million units by 2015.

“Hambantota is the most suitable location to feed the Indian Subcontinent,” he said. “A combination of Colombo and Hambantota will compete with Dubai, Salalah and Singapore.”

Colombo’s three existing terminals currently account for the Sri Lanka’s entire cargo volume. Hambantota is still under development. The goal is for five Colombo terminals by 2015 with a total capacity of 10.8 million TEUs.

Sri Lanka’s 18 per cent share of Indian transhipment, however, may fall as Indian ports improve and its government tries to match the lower prices offered by the Sri Lanka’s terminals, it is projected.

China has committed Sri Lanka $3.7 billion since 2005 for projects from ports to a power plant.

Sri Lanka expects an $808 million loan from Export-Import Bank of China to help pay for the next leg, it has been reported.

Mr Rajapaksa’s ports plan aims to tap that prospective gain as well as to deepen trade ties between emerging markets. Port projects are expected to spur more foreign investment and create about 55,000 jobs in Colombo and Hambantota.

Dredging Today – Sri Lanka Plans to Become Asian Hub
 
I can feel Indians looking at China and burning with envy ;)

And I can sense the shocking levels of insecurity your government off the common Chinese people, despite having claimed this and that record... guess something isn't alright. :lol:
 
Sri Lanka is geographically well placed to leverage the growth in Exports of both India/China/ other emerging SE-Asian countries like vietnam. Congratulations to them.
 
And SL will regional aviation hub with our new airports soon.

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Sri Lanka’s second International Airport is taking shape
01 August 2011

Runway construction work of Sri Lanka’s second International Airport at Mattala in the Hambantota District has been completed. With a length of 4.000m and a width of 75m, the largest aircraft available at present such as the Airbus A380 could land there. The taxiway is 370m long and 60m wide. The new airport is being built on an 8.000-hectares plot of land and will provide facilities to handle 1 million passengers annually as well as air cargo. Construction of the 1.000m² cargo facility, capable of handling 45.000 tonnes per year, is also nearing completion.

The objective of constructing this airport is to provide an international airport alternative to Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake, make Hambantota District a hub for air and sea cargo handling, facilitate the development of the southern and eastern coastal areas, make it a centre for supplying aviation fuel for aircraft flying over Sri Lanka, and provide easy access for foreign investors to establish industrial projects in the region.

Mattala International Airport is one of the largest projects being carried out by the Government. Its first phase will be completed by mid-2012.

inter airport Europe 2011 - 18th International Exhibition for Airport Equipment, Technology, Design & Services
 
Once the southern most natural sea port of vizhinjam @ Trivandrum gets operational, most of the business will be routed towards the newer one.The port handling capacity is envisaged to be 4.1 million TEU/annum at the completion of the Project and would cater to 12000 TEU vessels
 
Actually government's vision is to develop SL in 5 ways!

1. Commercial Hub (with the new Colombo port city project)
2. Shipping Hub
3. Aviation Hub
4. Educational Hub
5. Energy ....... (I can't remember it)


SriLankan_Airlines.jpg
 

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