MILESTONES IN PORTS DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

  Year   Description  
1505 Portuguese arrive in Colombo, marking beginning of European interest. For the first time the Port of Colombo was known to the Europe
   
1875     The King Edward VII laid the foundation stone for the South West Breakwater
   
1882 Harbour Board established to administer the Port of Colombo
   
1885 Completion of the 1285 metre long Southwest Breakwater
   
1898 Completion of the 335 metre long Northeast Breakwater
   
1899 Commencement of the construction of the Dry Docks
   
1906 Completion of the 814 metre long Island Breakwater.
   
1906 Completion of the Dry Dock
   
1909 Completion of the 250metre long Guide Pier for the Dry Docks (the First deep water alongside berth)  
   
1912 Completion of 18 Coaling Jetties
 
1912 Completion of the 550 metre long extension arm of the Southwest Breakwater.
   
1912 Colombo Port was converted to a Sheltered Harbour.
   
1913 Colombo Port Commission Established
   
1922 Completion of Petroleum oil facilities
   
1950 Commencement of construction of fifteen alongside berths of 9-11 meters draught and two coaster berths of 7.5 meter draught and 55.800 sq. meter of adjacent transit sheds and warehouse accommodation
   
1954 Inauguration of the Queen Elizabeth Quay by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; the Royal Yacht, “Gothic” – the first vessel to berth at Queen Elizabeth Quay
   
1956 Completion of 17 alongside berths, transit sheds and warehouses
   
1958 Port (Cargo) Corporation was founded to nationalise the Cargo handling activities
   
1964 Cargo handling activities of the Port of Galle nationalised
   
1967 Port Tally and Protective Services Corporation established
   
1967 Cargo handling activities of the Port of Trincomalee nationalised
   
1979 The Sri Lanka Ports Authority formed by unifying the Colombo Port Commission, the Port (Cargo) Corporation and the Port Tally and Protective Services Corporation
   
1980 Master Plan for the Port of Colombo established with assistance from the Government of Japan
   
1980 Inauguration of the Queen Elizabeth Terminal
   
1982 Installation of the first Gantry Crane – TANGO 80
   
1982 Contract for the construction of the New Container Terminal signed with M/s. Penta Ocean Wakachiku Joint  Venture of Japan
   
1982 Opening of New Bridge (Hartal Bridge over the Harbour Canal)
   
1983 Inauguration of the Construction of Stage I of the fully equipped container Terminal
   
1984 Inauguration of the Construction of Stage II of the fully equipped container Terminal
   
1984 Commissioning of four Hitachi Transfer Cranes at Queen Elizabeth Quay Container Berth
   
1985 Ceremonial opening of Stage I of the Jaya Container Terminal
   
1987 Inauguration of SLPA – Mahapola Training Institute
   
1987 Inauguration of the Construction of Stage II of the Jaya Container Terminal
   
1988 Commissioning of the off-shore installation of the Single Point Bouy Mooring
   
1994 Completion of new Port Access Road.
   
1995 Inauguration of the Construction of Stage III of the Jaya Container Terminal
   
1995 Handling of 1 Million containers by the Port of Colombo
   
1996 Inauguration of the Construction of Stage IV of the Jaya Container Terminal
   
1996 Deepening of Main Channel to 15M depth.
   
1997 Inauguration of the Oil Berth
   
1998 Inauguration of the Unity Container Terminal
   
1998 Symposium of Affiliate Ports
   
1999 Commissioning of the Oluvil Light House in the East Coast and opening of the Oluvil Maritime Training Institute
   
1999 Commencement of the Development of the South Asia Gateway Terminal QCT
   
1999 Commencement of construction of Alongside Berth Project in Tricomalee
   
1999 Commissioning of empty Container Yard
   
2000 Commencement of Colombo South Harbour Feasibility Study
   
2000 Commencement of a new Berth in Port of Galle
   
2000 Inauguration of Peliyagoda Container Freight Station
   
2000 Submission of Final Report for development of the Port of Galle as a Regional Port
   
2000 Commencement of North Pier development phase II
   
2000 Inauguration of the One – Stop Documentation Centre
   
2001 Inauguration of the New Jetty in Port of Galle
   
2001 Completion of Stage I of QEQ (SAGT) development project
   
2001 Commissioning of the dredger “Hansakawa”
   
2001 Boom extension of Gantry Cranes at Jaya Container Terminal III and IV
   
2001 Commencement of the feasibility study for Port of Hambantota and inauguration of the new Training Institute and Project Office.
   
2002 Inauguration of the Ashraff Quay (multipurpose Alongside Berth) in the Port of Trincomalee
   
2003 Inauguration of construction of Oluvil Port access road.  
   
2003 Inauguration of Customer Service Centre for LCL and break-bulk cargo
   
2003 Opening of SLPA Maritime Museum
   
2003 Ceremonial inauguration of Unity Container Terminal with the completion of the civil works
     
2004 Ceremonial inauguration of Container Handling Operations at Unity Container Terminal
   
2004    25th Anniversary celebrations of the SLPA
   
2004 National Productivity Award in large scale service sector was won by Jaya Container Terminal
   
2004 Commencement of Hambantota Port Development Project
   
2004 Handling of 2 Million containers at the Port of Colombo
   
2005 Commencement of construction of the Port and Housing Scheme in Oluvil
   
2006 Commissioning of Container Security Initiative and Megaport Initiative in the Port of Colombo
   
2006 Signing of Memorandum of Understanding for the proposed Colombo Port Expansion Project to construct the Colombo South Harbour
   
2006 Signing of MOU concerning detailed design works of Hambantota Port Development Project (Phase I)
   
2006 Handling of 3 Million Containers in the Port of Colombo
   
2007 Commencement of construction work and signing of the financial agreement of the Hambantota Port Development  Project
   
2008 Commencement of construction work of Oluvil Port Project
   
2008 Commencement of construction work of Colombo Port Expansion Project
   
2008 Signing of Contract agreement for construction of Bunkering facility and Tank farm at Hambantota
   
2008 Commencement of Colombo Oil Bank Operations by JCT Ltd., of SLPA
   
2009 Laying of Foundation Stones for the Bunkering Facility and Tank Farm Project and Administration Building at Hambantota
   
2009 Signing of MOU with APL Shipping Line
   
2009 JCT Terminal Management System upgrade to “NAVIS”.
   
2010 Ceremony of Sea Water Filling to the Harbour Basin of  Magampura Port  (Hambantaota)
   
2010 Ceremonial inauguration of MagampuraPort  by officially naming as the MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port, Hambantota
   
2010 Handling of 2 Million Containers at the Jaya Container Terminal – (JCT)
   
2010     Handling of 4 Million Containers at the Port of Colombo
   
2011 Arrival of 06 new Gantry Cranes and 30 Transfer Cranes
   
2011 Capacity enhancement at Colombo Oil Terminal of SLPA
   
2011 Arrival of 50 Terminal tractors
   
2011 Arrival of 2nd batch of Terminal Equipment; 03 Gantry Cranes & 11 Transfer Cranes
   
2011 Signing of Agreement for Colombo Port Expansion Project- South Container Terminal
   
2011 Ground breaking ceremony at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port to open new business ventures
   
2011 Ground Breaking Ceremony for commencement of construction work of Colombo South Container Terminal
   
2012 Commencement of handling RO-RO Vessels at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port
   
2012 Replacing the dilapidated existing bunker fuel pipe line from the Bloemendhal Oil Terminal to the Port of Colombo  
   
2012 Implementation of Export Module of Cargo Management System
   
2013 Ceremonial inauguration of the Colombo Port Expansion Project with a monumental breakwater of 6.8 km. and the 1st Terminal- Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) 1st Berth Operation
   
2013 Ceremonial Inauguration of Port of Oluvil
   
2013 Implementation of Import FCL Module of Cargo Management System
   
2013 Ceremonial Inauguration of Administration Building at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port
   
2013 Vision 2020, the Cooperate Plan was launched
   
2014 Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) fully operational since April
   
2014 Implementation of Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS)
     
2014 Ceremonial Inauguration of Tank Farm Complex and Bunkering Terminal at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port 
   
2014 Opening of New Fire Brigade Building, Port of Colombo
   
2014     Arrival of  TWO Gantry Cranes and TWO Tugs at MagamRuhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port
   
2014 Inauguration of the Colombo Port City development project
   
2015     Handling of 05 Millionth containers by the Port of Colombo.
   
2016 Opening of New CFS Stage 1 Port of Colombo.
   
2017 Operations of Fully Re-constructed Container Freight Station 01 (CFS 1)
   
2017 Concession Agreement between SLPA and CM Port for Port Operations of the Port of Hambantota signed
   
2017 The First Public Private Partnership for Port Operation inaugurated
   
2017 SLPA hosts the 19th Symposium on International Network of Affiliated Ports (INAP) Conference
   
2017 Signing of Shareholders Agreement & Land Lease Agreement of the Port of Hambantota
   
2017 Generation of 01st Payment under Hambantota Port Concession Agreement between Sri Lanka Ports Authority and China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd.
   
2017 Handling of 6 Millionth TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) by the Port of Colombo
   
2017 Recorded the highest ever net profit of Rs. 13.3 Billion
   
2018 Generation of 02nd Payment under Hambantota Port Concession Agreement between Sri Lanka Ports Authority and China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd.
   
2018 SLPA enters into MOU with SAGT and CICT to collectively promote the Port of Colombo
   
2018 SLPA won Ports Authority of the Year 2018 Award at Global Ports Forum.
   
2018 Generation of last tranche under Hambantota Port Concession Agreement between Sri Lanka Ports Authority and China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd.
   
2018 The Port of Colombo organised the first ever Colombo Port Award Night
   
2018 Port of Colombo ranked as the World’s Highest Container Growth Port in the first half of 2018 – Alphaliner
2018 7 Million TEUs handled by the Port of Colombo
2019 Sri Lanka Ports Authority celebrated its 40th anniversary on August 2019 ( Click here to read more)