Deepening of CT berths gets moving

AS THE Danish-flagged suction
dredger Gefion R fired up last week
to begin a 10-month deepening of
the port of Cape Town’s four berths,
the shallow, less utilised berth 600
was cordoned off as a sort of stowage
area for equipment used by the Danish
contractor, Rohde and Nielsen. This
is necessary while initial deepening
proceeds at berth 601 and will be
followed piecemeal by the remaining
three berths.
Transnet plans to build a bridge
from the terminal loading zone to the
port industrial park on the far side of
Marine Drive, Paarden Eiland, relieving
pressure on Marine Drive and Duncan
Road and improving traffic in the port.
Eskom, in the firing line by all and
sundry over its inability to deliver
constant, dependable power, is to
upgrade power in the container
terminal, which along with hospitals
enjoys preference as a strategic
facility.
Willie van Dyk, container terminal
project director, says if the port’s
power supply is switched off so too is
the city of Cape Town’s economy.
Albert Schuitmaker, CE of the Cape
Regional Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, says the R4.2 billion terminal
extension will elevate the port of
Cape Town to meet the demands of
the future so that new generation
containerships are able to call.