Indian port operator Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone has doubled annual capacity at Colombo West International Terminal in Sri Lanka to 3.2m TEU following a $750m investment, according to a company statement.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya inaugurated the terminal’s Phase II expansion in Colombo on 30 September, raising capacity from 1.6m TEU.
The expansion allows Colombo West International Terminal, or CWIT, to berth three ultra-large container vessels simultaneously.
CWIT has handled 2m TEU in its first 18 months of operation after commercial operations began in April 2025.
The terminal has a 1,400-metre quay and an alongside depth of 20 metres. Adani Ports said the expansion takes CWIT towards its target of handling nearly 25% of the Port of Colombo’s targeted 13m TEU capacity by 2028.
“Phase II is a landmark for APSEZ’s international portfolio and sharpens our position across the Indian Ocean’s key trade corridors,” said Ashwani Gupta, whole-time director and chief executive of Adani Ports.
CWIT operates under a 35-year build-operate-transfer concession involving Adani International Ports Holdings, John Keells Holdings PLC and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
Adani International Ports Holdings owns 51% of CWIT, John Keells Holdings PLC holds 34% and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority owns 15%.
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone is an Indian port and logistics infrastructure company within Adani Group. Its network comprises 16 ports and terminals in India, and its international port portfolio includes assets in Sri Lanka, Australia, Israel and Tanzania. The company has total cargo-handling capacity of 653m tonnes per year.
Adani International Ports Holdings is the Adani entity through which the group holds its interest in CWIT.
John Keells Holdings PLC is a Sri Lankan corporate group with businesses spanning several sectors.
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority is the state-owned authority responsible for the country’s commercial ports.