Basil Read makes St Helena airport fly

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.