DP World lays foundation for 1 million TEUs

11 Oct 2017 - by Ed Richardson

Maputo is set to regain

its status as a major

container port thanks

to a combination of

investments in the approach channel,

the container terminal operated by

DP World and the landside logistics

chain.

“Our target is to ramp up capacity

to a million TEUs per annum

steadily over the next few years to

meet market demand,” says Tejas

Nataraj, CEO at DP World Maputo.

This will be made possible by a

substantial investment in all the

infrastructure, equipment and

systems of the terminal.

The operational area has already

been refurbished. This includes

10 hectares of new

yard paving, and

the addition of 22

lighting masts to

enable 24-hour

operation.

A new rail siding

with four 375-metre

lines has been

completed. It is

designed for loading

and offloading using

rubber-tyred gantries (RTGs).

The investment in rail will help

exporters and importers reduce

logistics costs and avoid delays at the

Lebombo border post, according to

Nataraj.

In addition to the physical

infrastructure DP World is

upgrading its Terminal Operating

System (TOS) to replace all

physical paperwork with electronic

processing.

“This will substantially cut down

processing time and delays while

dramatically improving the safety

and security of the terminal´s

employees, visitors and cargo,” he

says.

On the operational

side DP World

has invested in six

RTGs, which have

already improved

productivity,

according to Nataraj.

By the end of the

year the container

yard will have been

increased from 10 to

15 hectares, giving the terminal

2 450 20-foot container ground slots.

“This will increase the annual

capacity to 350 thousand TEUs,” he

says.

By mid-2019 the refurbishment

and extension of the quay to 655

metres, with a draught of 14.5

metres, is expected to be completed.

DP World will then install three

ship-to-shore gantry cranes that will

further improve productivity.

The company is already active in

the market to change the “outdated

perception of Maputo being a costly

and difficult logistical challenge.

“Now that the terminal´s

infrastructure has been developed

to support trade, cargo owners

and shippers can benefit from a

geographically superior option,”

he says.

DP World is inviting

collaboration and partnerships

with “prime movers who are

seeking to take advantage of

and support the development

of the Maputo-Southern Africa

corridor”.

Nataraj is confident

that perceptions can be

changed, and that

Maputo will be able

to establish itself

as a viable

alternative to Durban for Gauteng,

Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

“The challenges facing the

movement of containerised cargo via

Maputo to and from the hinterland

are not much different from those

that were faced when Maputo was

first promoted as a gateway for bulk

mineral exports.

“It took determination, and

time, for all the players to see the

benefits that Maputo offers, but now

Maputo Port´s

bulk mineral

export is a

great success

story, with

cargo owners

and shippers

reaping the

rewards of a

superior

export

link,” he

says.