The new administrative
complex, SayuruPaya’ of
Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda
Rajapaksa Port (MRMRP) was
declared open by His
Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa
– the President of the
Socialist Democratic
Republic of Sri Lanka on
Friday the 08th
November 2013. The building
is situated bordering the
idyllic southern beach front
of the new port.
The Administrative Building
at the site commenced
constructions as a part of
the main project on
07.10.2009. The building
consists of 14 stories
including 100,000 sq. ft.
and with a height of 200
ft. With the opening of the
new building, sooner, the
all port customers at MRMRP
will be able to fulfill all
customer requirements at
this one-stop centre. The
new administrative building
has been constructed with a
cost of Rs. one billion.
Preview of history of
Construction of MRMRP
During the official visit of
His Excellency the President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, to China
in 2007, to commemorate the
50th Anniversary of
bilateral friendship between
the People's Republic of
China and Sri Lanka, special
negotiations were held with
the Chinese President His
Excellency Hu Jintao to
obtain financial assistance
to construct the MRMRP .
Signing of Financial
Agreement for the MRMR Port
Development Project was held
on the 30th October 2007, at
the Temple Trees under the
patronage of His Excellency
Mahinda Rajapaksa, the
President Sri Lanka. The
constructions commenced on
the 15th January
2008.
The feasibility study for
the construction of Magam
Ruhunupura Port was carried
out by M/s. SNC Lavolis
Canadian International
Company and the basic
designs were prepared by the
Denmark Rambol Company in
the year 2005.
Under Stage - I, of the
project the West
Breakwater of 988 m, the
East Breakwater of 312 m, a
ships terminal of 600m, a
service terminal of
105 m, an oil terminal of
610 m, a ships turning
circle of 600 m were
constructed with a basin
draught of 17 m, and a Port
Access Canal that consists
of a width of 210 m and a
draught of 17m. The deepen
land area in stage I – was
43 ha. enabling to
facilitate 100,000 DWT
capacity ships.
The construction of a Fuel
Terminal at the Port was
commenced on the 07th
October 2009 by the Human
Oil Engineering in China
with a cost of US $ 76
million. Under the project
14 tank farms were being
constructed with a full
capacity of 80,000 m3. Among
them, 08 tanks were
dedicated for Ships oil
while 03 for aircraft oil
and another three for
L.P.gas. Following
successful construction of
the tank farm fuel storage
testing activities have been
successfully completed at
present.
‘Karadiyawara Mangalyaya’
and Commissioning of the new
port
As Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda
Rajapaksa Port (MRMRP) was
developed as an
environmentally, friendly
Port from the initial
stages, there had not been
any environmental issues
which many development
projects have to undergo.
The Garden Port concept
which many countries have
followed was utilized to
join the complex mechanism
process and the environment,
and in order to create a
good mental status for an
employee.
With the completion of
stage one of the project, 'Karadiyawara
Mangalaya', the Sea water
filling Ceremony of MRMRP
took place on the 15th
August 2010 under the
supervision of the Chairman
of Sri Lanka Ports Authority
Dr. Priyath B. Wickrama on
the instructions of Hon.
Chamal Rajapaksa the present
Speaker and the M.P. for
Hambantota District and
under the guidance of His
Excellency the President
Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Turning a new chapter in the
country's socio-economic
development, the first stage
of Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda
Rajapaksa Port was
commissioned by His
Excellency the President
Mahinda Rajapaksa on 18th
November 2010 with the
arrival of the vessel
'Jet-Liner' followed by a
sailing ship and a cargo
ship symbolizing the
commencement of commercial
operations in the new port.
Following the commissioning,
the port also received ISPS
Certification as per the IMO
recommendation and the UN
Locator Code ‘LKHBA’
was also
allocated.
The first container vessel
for pilot maneuvering in
the port arrived on the 28th
April 2011 and during the
days several other
container vessels of
different capacities and
draughts and that belonged
to reputed international
shipping lines called at
the port for pilot
maneuvering to assure safety
entry and departure of mega
vessels at the brand new
port. The pilot maneuvering
process further assured the
eligibility of the entire
port area for smoother
vessel handling in and out
of the port.
MRMRP becomes the best
facility in Southern SL for
mega local & foreign
investment
The
project committee appointed
for the consideration of the
request of the investors who
were interested for the
investments in Magam
Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa
Port premises issued 63
applications locally and
internationally and 27
investors submitted their
proposals for the
investments. More than 2000
hectares of lands adjoining
the harbour were to be
declared as a special
economic and industrial zone
to boost industrial and
commercial activities. Out
of the 27 investors who
expressed interest to
commence projects, six
investors bid for cement
industry while two had
expressed for vehicle
assembling and another two
for gas. The Project
Committee received proposals
from three investors for
warehousing, two for
petro-chemicals and one each
for sugar refinery,
fertilizer and canning.
Cabinet of Ministers
approved 7 investment
proposals, subsequent to the
recommendations by Cabinet
Appointed Negotiating
Committee with the
assistance of the Technical
Evaluation Committee.
Accordingly, three investors
namely, Thatta Cement
Company (Pvt) Ltd ,Hambana
Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) and
Lanka Sugar Refinery Company
(Private) Limited have
already commenced
constructions following
successful business venture
agreements with SLPA.
Hayles Advantis Ltd
(Fertilizer Bagging Plant),
McLarnes Holdings Ltd
(Warehousing), Agalawatta
Plantation PLC (Warehousing)
and ACE Distripaks (Pvt) Ltd
(Warehousing) are among the
other cabinet approved
investors who have
expressed their confidence
to commence business with
MRMRP.
MRMRP starts RO-RO
operations
As an effective measure to
ease the long berthing
delays experienced by Roll
on Roll off vessels at the
Port of Colombo, SLPA, with
the consultation of shipping
lines and importers decided
to route all such vessels to
the Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda
Rajapaksa Port and the first
Ro-Ro vessel operation at
the port was carried out on
06th June 2012. Commencement
of RO-RO operations at Magam
Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa
Port expressed itself as a
dedicated and reliable
facility for
international maritime
transportation in the
region. This new move
enabled to reduce congestion
over Colombo, introducing a
quicker clearance system
with SL Customs where the
document processing could
be done in either Hambantota
or Colombo without any
delay, and promote
transshipment business with
a dedicated automobile
handling terminal facility
in Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda
Rajapaksa Port. As
at 27.10.2013 the port has
received 139 RO-RO vessels
and has handled nearly
28,500 domestic units and
more than 38,000
transshipment units.
All developmental activities
at MRMRP are being
successfully carried out
with the supervision of
Hon.Project Minister of
Highways, Ports and Shipping
Rohitha Abeygunawardena and
instructions by Dr.Priyath
B.Wickrama – the Chairman of
SLPA.
Following the footsteps of
‘Mahinda Chinthana’ of His
Excellency the President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka
Ports Authority has been
rightly directed at present,
to maximize all the
strengths and capacities to
efficiently work towards the
socio-economic development
of Sri Lanka. Through the
accurate guidance by His
Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa
the true leader of the
nation, MRMRP at present,
is rapidly becoming the
potential to bring
prosperity not only to the
country but also to the
whole region.
Hon.Project Minister of
Highways, Ports and Shipping
Rohitha Abeygunawardena,
Hon. Project
Minister
of Highways,
Ports & Shipping, Hon.
Nirmala Kothalawala,
Hon.Chief Minister of Uva
Province Shashendra
Rajapaksa, Hon.Hambantota
District Parliamentarian
Namal Rajapaksa, His
Excellency Wu Jianghao – The
Ambassador of the People’s
Republic of China,
Secretary of the Ministry
of Highways, Ports and
Shipping - Mr. R. W. R.
Pemasiri, Chairman of SLPA –
Dr.Priyath B.Wickrama,
Managing Director of SLPA –
Capt.Nihal Keppetipola,
Executive Director of SLPA –
Dr.Sanjaya Sedara Senarath,
Directors of SLPA, staff
members of the higher
management, executive
officers and employees of
SLPA, members of the trade
unions of SLPA, officers of
police and three forces and
a large number of local and
foreign distinguished guests
also attended the
opening ceremony of the new
administrative complex of
Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda
Rajapaksa Port.
(CPRD-11112013)