CT promises minimal delays over reefer peak

The Port of Cape Town has declared itself ready for the peak reefer season. This follows a few tumultuous years where major delays at the port saw exporters moving significant volumes away from containers to conventional reefers. But, said a port spokesman, the port has worked hard to address its challenges and has pulled out all the stops to accommodate fruit exporters and keep delays to a minimum. With the deciduous fruit season just around the corner – usually between October and March which is also the time when the port is often wind-bound, resulting in delays – the port is reassuring port users about its capability for the coming season. A spokesman for Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) told FTW they were continuously looking for solutions to ensure fruit exporters’ needs were met. “We are aware of their needs and therefore endeavour to optimise vessel turnaround time during the peak season from October to March,” said the spokesman. “We have worked hard during the past year to put the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure that we are ready.” Measures that have been taken include increasing the straddle fleet to 12 units to ensure uninterrupted operations on landside during wind-bound conditions. “An equal split of these units will be dedicated for reefers and general cargo,” said the spokesman. “We are also going to ensure that the two new ship to shore cranes are operational before the peak season as this will enhance our operational capacity significantly.” Furthermore reach stackers will be deployed in RTG stacks during windbound conditions. This has been the case over the past few months while the multi purpose facility – that is now part of the container terminal following an amalgamation of the bulk and container terminals recently – has also been geared up to handle diverted geared vessels. At the same time the national planning centre will provide 24-hour-a-day monitoring of reefer vessels as they progress through the port systems in order to ensure vessel turnaround time is optimised at each port call. According to TPT these efforts will see delays reduced during the coming peak season – ultimately proving to exporters that the Cape Town port can handle their fruit efficiently and effectively, getting it to market on time.