In Sri Lanka, the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) has established itself as the most efficient facility at the Port of Colombo in 2025, outperforming the state-operated East Container Terminal (ECT) by a wide margin. Managed by a consortium of Adani Ports and John Keells Holdings, CWIT achieved a faster operational ramp-up and higher capacity utilisation within its inaugural year.
According to official figures, CWIT, which commenced operations in April 2025, handled 717,226 TEUs by the end of the year. In comparison, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority-run ECT processed just over 500,000 TEUs, still hampered by incomplete infrastructure. Reports indicate that CWIT has already reached nearly 90% of its Phase 1 capacity of 1.6 million TEUs, highlighting its superior productivity.
Backed by Adani Ports’ investment and operational expertise, the CWIT model underscores the potential benefits of public-private partnerships in enhancing port efficiency, as the performance gap with the state-run terminal continues to widen.
