HIP Crosses One Million TEU Milestone; Advances Capacity Expansion Towards Two Million TEUs

Hambantota International Port (HIP) has surpassed one million TEUs in cumulative container throughput since the commissioning of new quay cranes in 2025, marking a significant milestone in the rapid growth of its container operations.

The port handled 428,036 TEUs in 2025, while throughput reached 574,196 TEUs in 2026 year-to-date, bringing the combined volume to 1,002,232 TEUs. The achievement reflects the continued expansion of HIP’s container business and growing customer confidence in its operational capabilities.

HIPG CEO Wilson Qu said the milestone demonstrated the progress made in developing Hambantota as a competitive container port serving regional and international trade. “Crossing one million TEUs is an important achievement for HIP and a strong indication of the confidence our customers are placing in the port. Our container growth has been built through close engagement with shipping lines, operational reliability and the ability to respond quickly to changing customer requirements. We are now investing across the full container-handling chain, from equipment and berths to yard space, reefer capacity and larger-vessel facilities, to ensure that the port is ready for its next phase of growth,” he said.

MSC, HIP’s principal customer in the container sector, has contributed significantly to the growth of the port’s container operations. The partnership has produced several operational milestones during 2026. In April, HIP established a new single-vessel handling record when the MSC Marie Leslie recorded 7,968 container moves, equivalent to 13,260 TEUs, during its call at the port. This surpassed the records set by the MSC Ilenia and MSC Ruby in March.

HIP subsequently achieved its highest-ever monthly container throughput in June, handling 80,325 TEUs. The result reflected the port’s operational preparedness, available capacity and targeted engagement with shipping lines during a period of uncertainty affecting major trade routes.

To support sustained growth, HIP is undertaking an extensive expansion of its container-handling facilities. This includes investment in new equipment, additional berth utilisation, container-yard development, increased reefer capacity and the infrastructure required to accommodate larger container vessels.

Central to the programme are six new quay cranes and 16 rubber-tyred gantry cranes, forming part of the port’s wider USD 108 million investment in container-handling machinery and supporting assets. The equipment is expected to be commissioned by the end of February 2027.    

Once commissioned, the new equipment will strengthen ship-to-shore and yard-handling capacity, improve vessel turnaround and support the utilisation of a further 1,300 metres of berth space. This will take HIP’s total container quay length to nearly two kilometres. The container yard will also be expanded by 30% to provide the space required for rising throughput. Together, these investments will support HIP’s long-term target of increasing annual container-handling capacity to two million TEUs.

HIP Chief Operations Officer Tommy Yang said the investments were being aligned carefully with the port’s growth trajectory and long-term customer demand.“The one-million-TEU milestone shows that HIP’s container business is moving into a new stage of growth. Our investment strategy is focused on developing capacity ahead of demand while maintaining operational efficiency and financial sustainability. The expansion of our equipment, berths, yard and reefer facilities will allow us to handle higher volumes and larger vessels more efficiently, creating the scale required to achieve our two-million-TEU target,” Yang said.

The latest milestone reinforces HIP’s progression from an emerging container operation into a growing regional gateway, supported by expanding infrastructure, established shipping-line partnerships and a clear path towards higher capacity.