Airport to port idea gains ground

Transnet is still lusting after the idea of developing a new port and container terminal at the dormant site of the old Durban International Airport (DIA) – but the price is still a matter of serious debate with the current owners, the Airports Company of SA (Acsa), according to Chris Matchett, port engineering specialist and executive of Transnet. “There are serious negotiations taking place. It’s something that is definitely on the drawing board.” The DIA development is designed as a back-up for the currently strained facilities at the Pier 2 container terminal at the Port of Durban. But, while he described Pier 2’s underperformance as “unacceptable”, public enterprises minister, Malusi Gigaba, told a Durban business conference that investment in state-ofthe- art equipment and further training were designed to bring the ailing terminal up to speed. This, he added, would come before the plans for the DIA site would be pursued – with this facility planned to add even more container capacity, and to take advantage of future expansion of SA’s commodity and manufactured production, as well as exports. Recently appointed CEO Brian Molefe told the conference on Transnet’s planned investments that the new harbour could cost R20 billion plus to basically buy, dig out and equip. But, along with the other phases of the development, he valued the total project at close to R100 bn. And he emphasised that this was likely to be a public/private partnership, with private sector capital and expertise required to build the new port, and possibly even to operate it.