22/07/2026
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and HSBC have committed up to US$40 million in financing to South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd. (SAGT) to modernize and decarbonize operations at the Port of Colombo, strengthening Sri Lanka’s position as a key maritime and transshipment hub in South Asia.
COLOMBO (News 1st); The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and HSBC have committed up to US$40 million in financing to South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd. (SAGT) to modernize and decarbonize operations at the Port of Colombo, strengthening Sri Lanka’s position as a key maritime and transshipment hub in South Asia.
The investment is expected to enhance the port’s competitiveness, resilience and sustainability while deepening Sri Lanka’s connectivity to global markets and reinforcing the Port of Colombo’s status as one of the region’s leading gateways for international trade.
The financing package consists of a sustainability-linked loan of up to US$20 million from IFC, including up to US$8.57 million mobilized through IFC’s Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Program (MCPP), alongside a parallel green loan of up to US$20 million from HSBC.
The transaction is being highlighted as an example of how private-sector capital can be leveraged to support large-scale infrastructure development.
Funds from the investment will be used to acquire advanced twin-lift ship-to-shore cranes, which are expected to significantly improve operational efficiency at the terminal.
The new equipment will increase productivity, enhance reliability, reduce energy consumption and enable SAGT to handle growing volumes of cargo with faster and more efficient services for global shipping lines.
The project marks IFC’s first sustainability-linked financing initiative for an infrastructure company in Sri Lanka and its return to the country’s port sector after a gap of two decades.
More Details: https://english.newsfirst.lk/2026/07/20/new-green-financing-to-supercharge-port-of-colombo
