Colombo East Container Terminal Faces Delays Amid Straddle Carrier Setback

Post by : Amit

Photo: Reuters

What was meant to be a game-changing leap in Sri Lanka’s maritime capabilities is now facing teething troubles, as the Colombo East Container Terminal (CECT)—one of the region’s most strategically significant port infrastructure projects—remains partially idle due to delayed delivery of key cargo-handling equipment.

More specifically, the absence of straddle carriers—the towering mobile machines used to move containers between ship-to-shore cranes and stacking yards—is holding back the terminal’s ability to enter full commercial service, according to sources cited by World Cargo News.

Despite the completion of major civil works and the delivery of ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, Colombo East is unable to begin live vessel operations at planned capacity. The setback underscores a recurring challenge faced by many emerging ports: the delicate dependency on timely equipment logistics, especially for purpose-built greenfield terminals like this one.

At the heart of the delay is the late arrival of straddle carriers—an essential link in the cargo movement chain at any high-capacity container terminal. These machines act as shuttles between STS cranes, which unload containers from vessels, and yard stacks where containers are stored or prepped for intermodal transfer.
Without them, even the most sophisticated quay cranes and deepwater berths stand still.

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), which owns and oversees the terminal, has not publicly confirmed the cause of the straddle carrier delay. However, industry insiders point to possible supplier backlogs, logistical bottlenecks in equipment transport, or contractual delays in procurement. Either way, the result is clear: CECT is not yet operating at the level envisioned in its launch roadmap.

Colombo East isn’t just another terminal—it represents the future of Sri Lanka’s maritime ambitions. Designed to be a flagship deepwater container terminal, the project is part of a multi-billion-dollar push to expand Colombo Port’s capacity and compete more aggressively with regional transshipment hubs like Singapore, Port Klang, and Dubai.

With a quay length of 1,320 meters and a depth of over 20 meters, CECT was expected to handle ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) and ramp up throughput at a time when regional volumes are recovering strongly post-pandemic. Its location at the East Container Terminal basin also positions it as a strategic transshipment hub for India-bound cargo and beyond.
But without operational yard handling, CECT is still in “standby mode,” waiting for the machines that bring flow to the container cycle.

The delay at Colombo East comes at a time when rival ports across the Indian subcontinent are moving aggressively to expand their own capacities. India’s JNPT and Mundra are fast upgrading equipment and yard systems, while Chittagong and Hambantota are ramping up hinterland connectivity.

For Colombo, long considered a transshipment bridge between East and West, any operational lag risks loss of competitive edge, particularly if shipping lines divert volumes to ports with smoother, faster container handling turnarounds.

“Time is everything in container shipping,” said a South Asia-based terminal planner who requested anonymity. “A terminal can have the best cranes in the world, but if containers can’t be moved efficiently to the yard, ships will look elsewhere.”

Industry observers remain hopeful that the straddle carriers could be delivered in the coming weeks, enabling Colombo East to gear up for full operations by Q3 2025. The SLPA, along with potential operating partners and port contractors, is said to be working around the clock to address the bottleneck and speed up readiness.

Meanwhile, partial operations may be possible using alternative yard-handling methods such as reach stackers or rented equipment, though these are often less efficient for large-scale volume.

The broader significance of Colombo East’s development still stands. When fully operational, the terminal is projected to add over 3 million TEU in annual capacity, significantly easing congestion at Colombo Port and boosting Sri Lanka’s role as a maritime connector across Asia and Europe.
But for now, a few missing machines—though seemingly small in number—are keeping a billion-dollar terminal from achieving liftoff.

Maritime, Sri Lanka