Coega on track for September start

The development of the deepsea
container port at Coega
in the Eastern Cape close to
Port Elizabeth is on track,
with the early deliveries of
port equipment still flowing
in, according to Andrew
Thomas, CEO of Ocean Africa
Container Lines (OACL)
and chairman of the SA
Association of Ship Operators
and Agents (Saasoa).
The port still has a deadline
to start commercial operations
in September this year.
With SA gaining a
reputation for port congestion,
this extra capacity provided
by the new harbour will
be welcome, according to
Thomas, although questions
still remain as to how well
the port will be connected to
SA’s main cargo source and
destination in the industrial
heartland of Gauteng, and
what landside industrial
developments to support the
harbour will still transpire.
But the major query still
remains: How will Coega fit
into the SA shipping scheme
of things?
Members of the industry
still have their minds fixed
on how they will utilise the
new port. Added Thomas: “In
terms of how we integrate that
capacity into the SA shipping
port network – that’s the
big question.”
And current conditions
mean that it’s not an answer
that will come up overnight.
“Given the global economic
climate,” Thomas told FTW,
“we’re not sure what will
happen in the SA port network
this year.”