Adani to Double Colombo Terminal Capacity Ahead of Schedule
PORTS & SHIPPING

Adani to Double Colombo Terminal Capacity Ahead of Schedule

India’s Adani Group and its partners are set to double the capacity of the $840 million Colombo West International Terminal months ahead of schedule, despite relinquishing $553 million in U.S. funding, according to an executive at partner firm John Keells Holdings.
The deepwater terminal, situated alongside a facility operated by China Merchants Port Holdings, highlights Sri Lanka’s strategic role in the contest for influence in the Indian Ocean between New Delhi and Beijing.
The first phase of the fully automated terminal became operational in April 2025. The second and final phase is underway and expected to be completed by late 2026, three to four months ahead of the February 2027 deadline, said Zafir Hashim, head of transportation at John Keells. Upon completion, the terminal will have an annual handling capacity of 3.2 million containers, boosting the overall throughput of Colombo Port.
The majority of business through the terminal originates from India. In December 2025, Adani withdrew its funding request from the U.S. International Development Finance Corp, opting to finance the project via internal accruals and a capital management plan. This followed allegations by U.S. authorities involving Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, which the group has dismissed as baseless.
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone holds a 51 per cent stake, John Keells owns 34 per cent, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority retains the remainder.
Despite withdrawing from two proposed $1 billion wind power projects earlier in 2025 after tariff disputes with Sri Lanka’s government, the country remains open to further renewable energy investments from Adani. Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody confirmed that Adani later explored two smaller 100 MW wind projects, signalling renewed interest, though no bids were ultimately submitted.
“Adani is performing very well in the West Terminal project, and we are very happy,” said Arjuna Herath, Chair of Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment. 

India’s Adani Group and its partners are set to double the capacity of the $840 million Colombo West International Terminal months ahead of schedule, despite relinquishing $553 million in U.S. funding, according to an executive at partner firm John Keells Holdings.The deepwater terminal, situated alongside a facility operated by China Merchants Port Holdings, highlights Sri Lanka’s strategic role in the contest for influence in the Indian Ocean between New Delhi and Beijing.The first phase of the fully automated terminal became operational in April 2025. The second and final phase is underway and expected to be completed by late 2026, three to four months ahead of the February 2027 deadline, said Zafir Hashim, head of transportation at John Keells. Upon completion, the terminal will have an annual handling capacity of 3.2 million containers, boosting the overall throughput of Colombo Port.The majority of business through the terminal originates from India. In December 2025, Adani withdrew its funding request from the U.S. International Development Finance Corp, opting to finance the project via internal accruals and a capital management plan. This followed allegations by U.S. authorities involving Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, which the group has dismissed as baseless.Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone holds a 51 per cent stake, John Keells owns 34 per cent, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority retains the remainder.Despite withdrawing from two proposed $1 billion wind power projects earlier in 2025 after tariff disputes with Sri Lanka’s government, the country remains open to further renewable energy investments from Adani. Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody confirmed that Adani later explored two smaller 100 MW wind projects, signalling renewed interest, though no bids were ultimately submitted.“Adani is performing very well in the West Terminal project, and we are very happy,” said Arjuna Herath, Chair of Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment. 

Next Story
Building Material

Jindal Aluminium Marks 56 Years of Industrial Leadership

Jindal Aluminium Limited has marked its 56th Inception Day, celebrating a legacy built on vision, resilience and manufacturing leadership. Founded in 1968 and incorporated in 1970 by Padma Bhushan Dr Sitaram Jindal, the company has grown into a major force in India’s downstream aluminium sector under the leadership of Pragun Jindal Khaitan.The company is India’s largest manufacturer of aluminium extruded products and the second-largest producer of aluminium flat-rolled products. With a turnover of around Rs 5,500 crore and a workforce of over 4,000, Jindal Aluminium continues to strengthen..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Tunnelling Begins for Thane, Borivali twin tunnel project

Tunnelling work has commenced for the 11.84-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel, set to be India’s longest urban road tunnel, marking a key milestone in Mumbai’s infrastructure development.As per a post shared by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on social media platform X, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Nayak’—the country’s largest single-shield hard rock TBM for an urban tunnel—was launched by Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. The event was attended by Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, among other dignitaries. A second TBM, ‘Arjuna’, is expected to be launched so..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Large Format Store Planned At M G Road Metro Station

M G Road station in Bengaluru is set to host the city’s first large-format commercial and experience space, with planning led by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. BMRCL has invited proposals to develop and operate a central business district destination at the Purple?Pink Line interchange. The plan positions the station as a commercial hub designed to serve a broad commuter base across the city. The proposal is part of a broader effort to activate transit nodes commercially. Tender documents set a minimum monthly rental of Rs 0.944 million (mn), inclusive of GST, for the large-format..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement