CICT, operated by Chinese state-owned China Merchants, achieved its first one million TEU milestone in eight months, from January to August 2015, ending that year with 1.56 million TEU.

The company handled two million TEU in a single year for the first time in 2016.

It recorded incremental increases in annual throughput, handling 2.38 million TEU in 2017, 2.67 million TEU in 2018, 2.9 million TEU in 2019, and 2.89 million TEU in 2020.

"We are delighted to have played the role expected of us with flying colours in our first decade as an integral part of the Port of Colombo," said CICT chief executive Jack Huang.

"We have been a significant contributor to the port's throughput by attracting vessels which would otherwise have bypassed Colombo because of the absence of a deep-water terminal. CICT is also proud to have led the way in promoting eco-friendly operations and innovations in service."

CICT's noteworthy progress included completion of Stage One of the terminal to a quay length of 400 million by July 2013, reaching Stage Two with a quay length of 1,000 metres in December the same year, and completing the terminal with a quay length of 1,200 metres by April 2014.

CICT is also responsible for several firsts in service innovation and eco-friendly operations, including a US$10 million programme to convert its entire fleet of diesel-operated rubber-tired-gantry cranes to electricity-driven rubber-tyre gantry cranes (eRTGs) which have zero carbon emissions by 2017.

In 2019 the company added two new mega quay gantry cranes (QGCs), the tallest cranes in the Port of Colombo.

CICT is the first and only deep-water terminal in South Asia equipped with facilities to handle the largest vessels afloat.