Deepening of Berth 203 gets the 'green' light

Transnet Capital Projects (TCP) has just received a positive environmental authorisation (EA) from the department of environmental affairs (DEA) for the deepening, widening and lengthening of berth 203 at the Durban Container Terminal (DCT). This was TCP’s second application after its first was turned down in late 2013 on technical grounds. The first submission of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) was rejected – mainly due to the adverse effect of the plan to also extend the turning basin width further into the nearby central sandbank. This is considered to have a vital role to play in the marine ecosystem of the region, as it provides an important habitat and breeding ground for saltwater fish in the Durban Bay and along the KZN coastal zone. But the rejection allowed Transnet to go back and re-apply after addressing certain issues, TNPA told FTW – although not detailing what these were. The importance of the berth 203 project is that it is the beginning of an overall plan for the berths along the entire North Quay of the DCT Pier 2. It was planned that the 203 project was to be followed by berths 204 and 205 – giving DCT deepwater berthing (-16 metres charted depth) on these three, 300m long berths. This will allow these berths to handle fully laden ships of up to 15 000 TEU capacity instead of the present situation where 12 000-TEU ships already call, but are only able to enter port part-laden.