Two people were injured in a road accident that occurred at around 12.15 am today (09) on the Tissamaharama–Matara main road near the Hambantota Port’s second entrance and the Port Police.

According to the Police, the collision involved a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus and a prime mover. 

The bus conductor and one passenger sustained injuries, while both drivers were arrested following the incident.

Investigations are underway into the crash. (Newswire/ Image- Accident1st)

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The Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) has signed an agreement to invest USD 108 million in new container handling equipment, expanding its capacity and strengthening Sri Lanka’s position as a growing logistics hub in the Indian Ocean.

According to HIPG, the investment includes new quay cranes, RTGs and trailers, enabling it to handle the world’s largest container vessels while improving efficiency and moving towards more sustainable, electrified operations.

Once operational, this expansion will increase HIPG’s capacity to approximately 2 million TEUs, allowing it to serve multiple large vessels simultaneously and meet rising global demand.

“This milestone reflects our continued commitment to building a future-ready port and supporting Sri Lanka’s role in global trade,” HIPG added in a statement. (Newswire)

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Hambantota International Port (HIP) marked a significant milestone in its cruise operations, welcoming the Sphinx-class AIDAstella, the first vessel from AIDA Cruises to call at the port. 

The luxury liner, which called at the port during the Vesak weekend, is the seventh in a series of Sphinx class ships owned by the Cruise Line, HIP said in a statement.

The AIDAstella, which sails under the Genoa, Italy flag, arrived from Malaysia carrying 2,000 passengers and 620 crew. At 253.26 metres in length, the vessel is part of AIDA’s global cruise circuit and is currently en route to its next destination, the Maldives. 

The call was facilitated by local agent Aitken Spence Shipping Ltd., with Lotus DMC managing on-ground excursions for passengers disembarking at HIP.

The excursions included some of Southern Sri Lanka’s most iconic attractions, including Yala National Park, Galle’s historic fort city, and the popular Bird Park in Hambantota, offering a blend of wildlife, culture, and eco-tourism.

“This is a significant milestone not only for HIP but for Sri Lanka’s growing potential as a cruise destination,” said Lance Zuo, General Manager, Commercial and Marketing of Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG). “The AIDAstella marks the 9th cruise vessel call HIP has handled so far during this year. The unique experiences on offer, from safari excursions to heritage sites and even bicycle tours, coupled with the pristine conditions the port offers are creating considerable interest in HIP as a destination amongst the global cruise circuit. With multiple cruise lines now showing interest, we expect a strong upward trend in calls over the coming season.”

Bevin Mack, Assistant Vice President of Aitken Spence Shipping Ltd., also remarked on the port’s potential, “This call from AIDAstella is part of their global route repositioning from the Far East back to Europe. The fact that they chose to call in Hambantota shows growing recognition of Sri Lanka’s offering. While the traditional cruise season is from October to April, calls like this one are a strong signal that HIP could be integrated into more year-round routes in future. Much depends on passenger feedback, but this is a very positive step forward.”

The AIDAstella visit strengthens HIP’s strategic role in Sri Lanka’s maritime tourism map and aligns with the port’s vision to become a multi-purpose, globally connected logistics and tourism hub. (Newswire)

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Colombo Dockyard (CDPLC) has inked an agreement with Hambantota International Port Group (Private) Ltd (HIPG), to set up a fully-fledged workshop at the HIPG facility. 

According to Colombo Dockyard, the said agreement was signed on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Once the workshop is set up, this will augment the service availability and the speed of service to the clients, improving the economics to the end user. This new workshop, when in operation will extend the service footprint of Colombo Dockyard to the southernmost tip of Sri Lanka.  

The strategic maritime location of Hambantota, in close proximity to the key maritime routes, will allow Colombo Dockyard to offer afloat repair services to a multitude of vessels calling for transhipment, bunkering and other operations and dedicated afloat repairs.  HIPG port is a deep draft port with extensive berths that can handle vessels up to 17-meter draft, going up to very large crude carriers. 

Colombo Dockyard’s Rapid Response Afloat Repair Service (RRARS), which was launched in 2019 to provide afloat repairs services at all Sri Lankan ports, has played a crucial role in providing the required repair support to the vessels in the Sri Lankan waters. The excellent facilities available at the HIP, with over three and a half kilometres of deep draft berths, and selected berths serviced with cranage come in handy for the execution of speedy afloat repairs. 

These proactive initiatives for setting up a fully-fledged workshop within the HIP facility will provide much-needed capacity augmentation for afloat repairs in Sri Lanka. These auxiliary service availability to the vessels calling the Sri Lankan waters will also play a crucial role in generating much-needed foreign exchange to the Sri Lankan economy. Colombo Dockyard has operated in joint collaboration with Onomichi Dockyard Co. Ltd, Japan since 1993. Colombo Dockyard will be celebrating 50 years of operations in 2024, since its establishment in the year 1974.       

Mr Johnson Liu – Chief Executive Officer of Hambantota International Port Group (Pvt) Limited signed the agreement, while Mr. Thimira S Godakumbura, Managing Director / Chief Executive officer signed on behalf of Colombo Dockyard PLC.  The HIPG team consisted of Mr Bindu Ranasinghe, DGM-Commercial & Marketing, Mr. Henry Liu, Executive-Commercial & Marketing, Ms. Jayathmi Gamachchige- Asst Manager-Commercial & Marketing, Ms. Deshani Koralage, Senior Manager-Legal, Mr Kavindu Abesuriya, Senior Executive, Legal and Mr Ranjith Withanawasm. (Newswire)

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The Hambantota International Port Group has provided an additional investment of US$ 7.9 million to expand business in Sri Lanka.

According to the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI), the investment has been granted for further development and commercialization of Cargo facilities and related operations.

The BOI further said that the Hambantota International Port is becoming the fastest-growing Transhipment (T/S) port in the region. (NewsWire)

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Police investigations have revealed that several more complaints have been filed against the suspect who was arrested for defrauding over Rs. 6 million from three individuals by promising to clear vehicles at the Hambantota Port.

According to the Police, the suspect had defrauded Rs. 6,271,000 from a woman and two men by promising to clear four vehicles at the Hambantota Port.

The suspect is reported to have received a sum of Rs. 3,911,000 from one victim for a Toyota Axio vehicle, Rs. 1,000,000 from another man promising two Toyota Axios, and Rs. 1,360,000 from the woman promising a Wagon R vehicle.

The Police stated that the suspect was apprehended following complaints filed by the three victims at the Colombo Financial Crimes Investigation Division.

Several more complaints have been filed at various other Police stations against the suspect, who is a 36-year-old resident of Arukgoda, Alubomulla. 

The suspect will be produced before the Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court today. The Colombo Financial Crimes Investigation Division is conducting further investigations. (NewsWire)

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The Hambantota International Port (HIP) reports it handled over 900 units of the latest BMWs transhipped from the Port of Koper – Slovenia to the Port of Pyeongtaek in South Korea last week.

According to HIP, while usual traffic for transhipment at the Hambantota Port is in the East to West direction, this operation proves that there is a slow growth of RORO cargo coming in from the West and being moved to the East.

Hambantota International Port Group Chief Operating Officer Tissa Wickramasinghe said: “The fact that these high-end vehicles are now coming our way is a clear indication that HIP’s efficiency, reliability, quality of service and capacity for transhipment has now reached ‘best in the world’s standards.”

“While it is the most convenient port of call for transhipment for both the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, HIP’s services are top-notch. Currently, we are pitching our expertise to Original Equipment Manufacturers of electric vehicles,” he added.

Last year HIP benchmarked over 500,000 units of vehicles moving mostly from manufacturers in the East transhipping to the West. As of mid-April this year, the port has already transhipped over 200,000 units of vehicles. 

The Hambantota International Port stated that it is certain it will top last year’s transhipment figures by the end of 2023. (NewsWire)

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