Dry bulk terminal to get R800m facelift

LEONARD NEILL THE PORT of Richards Bay’s 30-year-old dry bulk terminal is to get a major facelift. The facility has ‘fallen well below world standards’ and is to be refurbished by SA Port Operations (Sapo) at a cost of R800 million. The terminal was originally designed with an annual capacity of 14 million tons and dubbed at its opening as the Singapore of South Africa because of its productivity capabilities. But ageing equipment has seen efficiency levels drop to 60% of that capacity, says Hamilton Nxumalo, Sapo’s general manager for equipment, engineering and asset management. The refurbishment will be fast-tracked, he says, and he hopes to see an improvement by early next year. Some of the work, such as upgrades to conveyor systems, will be completed within a year. The full programme is expected to take two years. In phase two capacity will be increased to 28 millions tons a year, which will include the reconfiguration of berths. Sapo recently took delivery of a huge new crane which ensures continuous productivity on the quay while ship loaders and unloaders are under repair. Other equipment on order includes hauliers, payloaders and trailers. There are also 200 concrete dividers on order which will be used to separate cargo.