Construction company Basil
Read has had to add shipping
to it is list of competencies in
order to build a R2.7-bn airport on
the island of St Helena.
The list of around 80 000 tons
of goods being transported to St
Helena Island gives an indication
of what it takes to build an airport:
(5 000t explosives, 25 000t cement,
20 000t fuel, 2 500t rebar, 25 000t
of building materials, navigational
aids, aerodrome ground lighting,
bulk fuel tanks and piping, and
bitumen emulsion).
Jimmy Johnston, director of the
St Helena Airport project for Basil
Read, says the company first had to
build a 14-km haul road from the
landing jetty to the site of the new
airport when work started in May
2012.
All the goods have been stored
and packed in a bonded yard
created by Namport in the port of
Walvis Bay for the duration of the
project
“The management of Namport
was very accommodating during
the negotiation phase, and we
managed to secure a 5000-sqm
bonded yard within Walvis Bay,”
he says.
Around 1 000 sqm is under roof
and 4 000 sqm an open yard area
for container stacking.
“We maintain a healthy growing
relationship with Namport,” adds
Johnston.
Walvis Bay was chosen because
“it saves us four days per voyage
cycle compared to shipping out
of Cape Town. This gives us
the opportunity for seven more
voyages over the contract period
(if required).
“It also saves on fuel, which is
a high contributor to sailing costs.
Walvis Bay also offers calmer
waters for entering and departing
port for our vessel, theoretically
resulting in fewer weather delays at
the major port.”
Bu theory and practice do not
always coincide – particularly
when it comes to logistics.
“Walvis Bay can literally change
from mist to sunshine to high south
easterly winds in one day. General
weather conditions are pleasant
during the morning and windier
later in the day.”
In addition, the port occasionally
has a shortage of handling
equipment due to high demand,
but this is overcome by hiring
equipment from the private sector
in order to keep the operational
processes running, he added.
On the plus side: “Overall, it
is a beautiful place to stay and
the people are very pleasant. The
weather conditions to and from St
Helena have not been bad, with
maximum swells of around 3.5m,”
he says.
The operation on St Helena
involves the vessel docking bow
first against a small purpose-built
jetty in Rupert’s Bay. Mooring
points in the bay and on land hold
the ship in a steady position. An onboard
crane loads containers onto
flatbed articulated dump trucks.
Wheeled and tracked plant are
driven off the ship onto the jetty via
a bow ramp.
Fuel is offloaded into a floating
fuel line and pumped ashore to fuel
tanks.
“In Walvis Bay we usually use
the vessel’s 40t McGregor crane
for containers and general cargo,
and an 80t Kuiseb Shore Crane for
heavier lifts.
“On St Helena the on-board
crane is all that is required for
offloading as all the wheeled and
tracked plant drive off the ship,”
he says.
Careful logistics planning
holds the key to the success of
the project, he added. “One has
to be prepared for unforeseen
eventualities. The Island is over
2000 km away and there is an
urgent need for specialised goods;
one needs to do whatever it takes
to have it ready for shipping on the
next voyage”.
CAPTION
Packed tightly – earth moving plant, equipment and supplies bound for St Helena
Island from Walvis Bay.
