Sri Lanka’s Adani-John Keells automated container terminal in Colombo has achieved record-breaking growth within months of opening, setting a new benchmark in South Asia’s port industry with automation, speed, and innovation driving success.
The Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT), a joint venture between India’s Adani Ports and Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings, is off to a phenomenal start, achieving global milestones in record time. According to CEO Munish Kanwar, the terminal reached a throughput of over 100,000 TEUs within just four months of commencing commercial operations in April, an unprecedented figure in global port operations.
Kanwar revealed that the terminal’s productivity levels have rapidly improved, with container handling speeds reaching 22 to 23 moves per hour. The goal is to exceed 25 moves per hour by the end of the financial year and ultimately reach 28 to 30 as the facility matures. CWIT’s modern infrastructure, featuring automated cranes operated from air-conditioned control rooms rather than cramped cabins, has attracted major shipping alliances, including Gemini Corporation, a collaboration between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk.
The $700 million project is also reshaping Sri Lanka’s logistics workforce. About 20 percent of CWIT’s 200 employees are women, many trained at Adani terminals in India through partnerships with local universities. Chief Commercial Officer Dhashma Karunaratne highlighted that women are now being upgraded from yard operations to ship-to-shore crane handling, a first in the country’s port history.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, construction remains ahead of schedule. With eight Ship-to-Shore cranes now operational and 800 meters of the quay completed, the full 1,400-meter terminal is expected to be finished by December 2026, three months ahead of plan. CWIT aims to handle nearly one million containers by March 2025, contributing to the Port of Colombo’s overall growth to 8.3 million TEUs.
Kanwar said the facility’s strategic location, coupled with India’s and Bangladesh’s expanding trade, positions Colombo as a vital transshipment hub. The Adani-John Keells partnership plans long-term investments aligned with Colombo’s 15-year port expansion master plan, envisioning capacity comparable to Singapore’s global standards.
