Delayed reefer monitoring system set for November start

RAY SMUTS THREE YEARS down the line and Cape Town container terminal’s reefer monitoring system is inexplicably still not fully on stream, hence the onerous task of having to manually check refrigerated boxes for possible temperature deviations. This revelation comes barely a week after a senior reefer executive criticised Transnet’s infrastructure and equipment spend in the country’s main commercial ports over the past few years, in contrast to the lucrative revenue it derives annually from Transnet National Ports Authority and Transnet Port Terminals (TPT formerly Sapo). Oscar Borchards, terminal business unit manager, agrees it is crucial that the ‘Refcon’ computerised monitoring system comes on line this year. Target date is November to coincide with the start of the new deciduous season. What is more, implementation of the system is vital given that up to 90% of the terminal’s current business is derived from reefers. Overall volumes currently stand at some 692 000 teus a year. The terminal currently has 2 250 reefer plug points, of which only 1 050 are linked to the system, which monitors plugged-in reefer temperatures against those supplied by the shipping line; those that may be suspect are inspected immediately. “Right now we have people physically checking each and every reefer which could, at any given time, run to around 1800 boxes. And although human error can step in, we cannot be there (inspecting) every moment of the day.” Borchards concedes nothing further has been done about Refcon since the first stage of implementation about thee years ago and says the upgrade will cost about R2 million on a total outlay of an estimated R5 million. Borchards believes that criticism about too little overall spend at container terminals is unjust, pointing out TPT is only responsible for provision of equipment. He admits however that the only expenditure at Cape Town container terminal over the past three or so years has been R150 million for 30 new straddle carriers – the first four delivered in 2005 and the remainder last year – and R42 million on resurfacing an area to be utilised for empty container stacking. “We are now playing catch-up; we have not invested adequately but we are doing so now.” The meteoric growth in containerisation, much if it in reefers, from a Cape Town perspective underscores the urgency for a decision to implement Transnet’s R5 billion terminal expansion project. This is aimed at increasing annual stacking capacity from around 700 000 teus to 1.5 million teus. “This was supposed to have been done two years ago so it is long, long overdue and hurting our business,” says Borchards. He agrees the impasse, at the heart of which are extreme environmental concerns, “cannot be allowed to continue beyond this year, in the interests of regional economic growth.”