Govan clears up confusion over CT upgrade completion

Watching Transnet’s ‘pennies’ lies
at the heart of a delay to 2013 in
completing the last of four upgraded
berths at Cape Town Container
Terminal.
Despite claims at a Transnet Port
Terminals briefing on March 4 that
completion of the project was set for
2012, Sanjay Govan, Cape Town’s
NPA port manager, told FTW: “To ease
the cash flow, the project will now be
completed in 2013.”
This was in line with his comments
to FTW in January that the terminal
project would be delayed for up to a
year in light of ongoing negotiations for
better project-related rates.
He says the berth upgrade at 601 is
complete, work on 602 is under way,
berth 603 will be finalised by April
2012 and berth 604 completed by
around March 2013.
Although he would not go on record
at the time as to the nature of the costsaving
negotiations, it can be revealed
they include further dredging.
“What would benefit Transnet is that
dredging costs are down internationally
and this will assist us as there are still a
few spots that need to be addressed in
the container terminal and as a totally
separate project, Duncan Dock itself.”