The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) chairman said the country’s port sector could attract investments of up to $2 billion over the next one to three years, driven by expansion projects, logistics infrastructure and public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Speaking at the Sri Lankan-German Business Forum 2026 at ITC Ratnadipa, SLPA Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake said the Port of Colombo handled 8.3 million TEUs in 2025, placing it among the world’s top 25 container hubs. Current installed capacity stands at about 10 million TEU, against a 2026 demand forecast of 9.3 million TEU.
Dr. Dissanayake said the East Container Terminal (ECT) is scheduled to be commissioned next year, adding around 4 million TEU. The West Container Terminal Phase II, a $600 million investment, would add a further 3.3 million TEU. A feasibility study for a new Colombo North Port project envisages additional capacity of up to 11 million TEU over the medium term.
The SLPA will also issue a Request for Expressions of Interest shortly for a 14-acre logistics hub, while Hambantota Port has the headroom to take on a further 2 million TEU. Taken together, the chairman said, these projects open up an investment opportunity of around $2 billion in the next one to three years.
Dr. Dissanayake noted that global trade disruptions, supply chain instability and geopolitical tensions had underscored the critical role of shipping lines and maritime connectivity in sustaining international trade — a backdrop he said reinforced the case for a Colombo capacity build-out.
The pitch builds on the port hub framing the government has used through the WION summit, the Abu Dhabi Ports-Sri Lanka CEPA tie-up, and Colombo’s 22 per cent throughput surge in April.
