CT loses business due to Durban, Ngqura delays

Delays at the ports of Durban and Ngqura are impacting heavily on Cape Town with more and more vessels bypassing the port in order to make up for the delay and to get the vessel back on schedule. The Port Liaison Forum (PLF) has now been asked to step in and monitor the situation more closely. “While they are sending relief vessels for the Cape Town cargo it does ultimately mean a delayed service for Cape Town,” said one of the stakeholders. Besides the massive strike recently at Ngqura which saw major delays, an ongoing concern and problem at the Eastern Cape port is the impact of wind and surge that is increasingly resulting in vessels being delayed. Mike Walwyn, PLF chairman, said that a moor mast device had been installed at the Port of Ngqura as a trial to see how it would benefit the port and reduce delays. Transnet National Ports Authority has also confirmed that it has contracted the CSIR to research the surge issue at the port, its impact and possible solutions. The report has been completed and the results are now being awaited. In Cape Town surge has also in more recent years been an issue. While some believe this has been due to the lengthening of the quay wall, others are of the opinion that surge is increasingly going to affect ports in the southern hemisphere due to climate change. Walwyn advised that the PLF keep a watch on Durban and Ngqura and monitor the impact on Cape Town shippers.