How do you explain to a customer a berthing delay of 17 days at Durban Container Terminal Pier 1 for a vessel on a weekly named-day service? This has been the reality facing shipping lines over the past few months as the Port of Durban continues to limp back to productivity after last October's major storm damage. “Productivity at the terminals was well below par during 2017,” said Polaris Ship Agency CEO Malte Kersten. And that’s over and above the storm damage in October. “Delays in the terminals are well beyond acceptable limits, not only for the shipping lines but also for all the customers. There are still gantries out of commission in the port." He believes it’s simply taking too long to repair the damage. “Lines have to employ extra loaders to compensate for the delays. Production lines in the manufacturing industry are affected, just in time delivery is almost impossible and stock levels are hard to plan and maintain.” Some industry sources told FTW they believed Transnet had used the extreme weather as an excuse for their poor productivity, but SA Association of Ship Operators and Agents CEO Peter Besnard was more magnanimous. “We have to be reasonable and not assume that it is all the fault of the port/ terminal operators by way of equipment maintenance. Extremely high winds have forced both shoreside and rubber tyre gantries to stop work for hours on end – not to mention the serious structural damage caused by the one of the worst storms in history in Durban. “The port, the various associations and shipping lines are in constant discussion to find solutions but it will take time.” Kersten said that Transnet was still sending out ‘Storm Event’ updates telling the industry that for a gantry at DCT Pier 1 the “scope of work for the repairs still has to be determined”. Another gantry at DCT Pier 2 has a return date “to be confirmed”. “So three months after the event it is still unclear when the terminals will be back to normal.” “The long-term impact of the Durban storm is of great concern to us,” said DAL Agency managing director David McCallum. “We have gone to great lengths to try and mitigate the influence of the storm on our schedule integrity and subsequently the supply chains of our customers. “The costs associated with introducing extra vessels onto our service (as part of these measures) clearly demonstrates our willingness to play an active role in the recovery of the ports. The various contingencies introduced over the past two months have had a disadvantageous impact on our customers, the end consumer and country as a whole; the need for a speedy recovery can’t be overstated,” he said. “While extensive recovery efforts have been made since the 10th of October it is imperative that the Durban port operations recover fully as soon as possible; this recovery process should aim to deliver operational efficiencies that are an improvement on the levels experienced prior to the October storm.” A congestion surcharge is however unlikely, according to our commentators, “although its implementation under the given circumstances would probably be justifiable, as the lines are facing extra costs without compensation," a source told FTW. “The post-storm mess was not of Transnet’s making – but the recovery period has been too long,” he said.
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The need for a speedy recovery at the Port of Durban can’t be overstated. – David McCallum
