There was an increase in the number of vessels docking at the Hambantota International Port (HIP) during the first week of the New Year.
HIP carries out a number of different activities, from ship to ship transfers (STS), to ship repairs and warm layups.
Apart from the regular car transshipment vessels, there is a vessel needing Ship to Ship transfer (STS) operations and a ship belonging to the Sri Lanka Navy among the six vessels berthed at the harbour at present. The varied services offered by the experienced port staff include a warm layup for drillship ‘Aban Abraham’, in port for six months, a hot layup for oil tanker ‘Champion Express’, a ship to ship transfer operation for MV ‘Orchid’, loading and unloading operations for RORO vessels ‘Glovis Siris’ and ‘Glovis Champion’ and a familiarisation and operational need for Navy vessel ‘Saurala’.
Traffic to the Hambantota International Port increased significantly during the past year, with 300 vessels for various service needs.
While the volume of RORO vessels handled had increased by 136%, the multi services provided by the port has improved (which were previously centered around RORO and passenger ship operations), to bulk, break-bulk, ship supply services, repairs and layups.
The port’s marketing and commercial teams have had a busy 2018, working on a worldwide campaign to make the Hambantota Port attract components to make it a multi-purpose harbour, a spokesman for HIP said.
Today, their efforts have borne fruit with ships with varied service needs calling at the port. HIPG targets a manifold increase in vessel traffic in the new year, which would greatly increase the turnover of the port and provide economic benefits to the Hambantota region.