Ship containing large quantity of slag docks at Hambatota Port

A ship containing 27,150 metric tonnes of slag which is used as an additional ingredient in cement manufacturing has docked at the Hambantota Sea Port earlier this week.

Senior officers at the Port had managed to carefully assist in docking the ship identified as 'Ithaca Patience' which is the largest ship with slag to have reached the shores of Sri Lanka until now.

Previously, smaller boats containing slag were docked at the Galle Sea Port.

However, port officials claim that this ship could not be accomodated at the Galle Port and therefore had to be diverted to Hambantota.

Several economic benefits could be derived due to the arrival of large ships to the port,Operations Director of the Hambantota International Shipping group, Tissa Wickremesignhe said.

He added that the Hambantotat Sea Port has become a viable option for the cement industry in the South.

(Reporting and pics by Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi)