Hambantota Port positioned as multi-purpose port

HIPG Team at Hambantota International Port stall (from left) Port Related Industry Manager Sabrina Edirisinghe, Assistant General Manager Commercial and Marketing Bindu Ranasinghe, HIPG COO Tissa Wickramasinghe, Commercial and Marketing Senior Manager Chandula Rambukwella and HIPG GM Operations Sylesh Peerez

Hambantota International Port (HIP) is being positioned as a multi-purpose port, a top port executive said following the port’s recent participation in the world premier transport and logistics exhibition, Transport Logistics 2019, held in Munich, Germany. 

The port, which is the newest addition to the international maritime map, was an important feature at the prestigious exposition of international logistical services, which had 2,374 exhibitors and around 64,000 visitors from all over the world attending.

“This is the first time in my entire career that I have been challenged with positioning an entire port with all its services.   But these are exciting times and we are proud to be trailblazers not only in positioning our multi-purpose port but also the opportunity of placing Sri Lanka on the world’s maritime map, in an altogether new way,” Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) COO Tissa Wickremasinghe said. 

He added that from a marketing point of view, his team’s participation in the prestigious exhibition is significant, as it gave them the opportunity to showcase the port to the maritime world.
“For us Sri Lankans, Hambantota is a well-known historic port but to the world at large, it is relatively new. No one knows about HIP’s deep water capability and the vast area of land surrounding the port, well primed for development.”  

Wickremasinghe said HIPG, as an organisational strategy, is promoting the multi-purpose Hambantota Port as an entirely new proposition. The marketing pitch of the company is based on the variety of cargo and unique port services that are being provided by the port. 

He said that was the reason why they decided to have their own stall at Transport Logistics 2019.  

“Although we are one in promoting Sri Lanka, we are also different in our positioning because Hambantota is a multi-purpose port and our priorities and sales pitch are obviously quite different.”

HIP’s full range of services include container handling, general cargo, ro-ro, passenger, bunkering, bulk terminal, gas and project cargo. 

The port is well on its way to becoming one of a kind in Sri Lanka, as it is the only port in the country designed to handle such a wide range of services in the maritime and logistics fields.
In addition to its maritime services, the port has drawn a master plan to become a logistics hub in the region, with warehouses, storage areas and distribution centres being set up within its premises, while leveraging on its strategic location.

HIP has approximately 3.5 square kilometres of vast land area dedicated for port-related industries. 

In addition, 50 square kilometres of land just outside the port perimeter is allocated for an industrial zone and investments by the Government of Sri Lanka, in utility infrastructure and highway connectivity to the area, are already underway.

HIP is also the only port in the region to supply bunkering facilities to ships calling at the port and those moving on sea lanes, with IMO-compliant low sulphur fuel oil. 
HIPG has already entered into an agreement with the global giant Sinopec, which will be its strategic 
bunkering partner. 

Located between Singapore and Fujairah, the number one and two bunker suppliers to the world respectively, HIP is well placed to exploit the potential of this trade.
HIP is a public-private partnership entered into with the Sri Lanka Port Authority.