Major improvement in CT wind delays

13 Dec 2013 - by Liesl Venter

Cape Town Container Terminal
(CTCT) has stepped up to the
plate to address wind delays
that paralysed the port in late
2012 and early 2013.
According to Brenda
Magqwaka, CTCT manager,
operations now continue at
wind speeds of up to 90km per
hour.
“This terminal only stops
operations when the wind
blows more than 90km per
hour as none of our equipment
can then function. The risk is
then too high; other than that
it is business as usual,” she told
FTW.
This is a vastly different
picture from last year when the
terminal was wind bound for
days on end – so much so that
exporters decided to charter
conventional reefer vessels
for this season as they were
not willing to chance a windbound
port again.
“We have increased the
wind speed limit at which
we operate the rubber tyre
gantries from 60km per hour
to around 82km per hour,”
said Magqwaka. Cape Town is
one of the only ports where the
RTGs operate in such heavy
winds, she said, as most of the
other ports ceased operations
between 60 and 70km per
hour.
“We have been working very
closely with the crane operators
and a lot of time and effort has
gone into convincing people
to continue working in such
high wind speeds. We have also
invested in more training for
the operators.”
Magqwaka said at the same
time Transnet Port
Terminals had to
backtrack on its
decision to only
operate RTGs.
“We have
re-introduced
straddle carriers to
the terminal and
that means we can
continue operations
even when the
RTGs cease
operations.”
She said the
straddle carriers
brought in from the Port
of Durban earlier this year
allowed the terminal to
continue operations in very
high winds.
“It may not be optimal as
we have to dump stack and
then go back when the wind
has died down to organise,
but the terminal continues to
operate and that is what it
is ultimately all about.
Customers are happy
and they realise that we
are doing everything
in our power to keep
this terminal
functioning
despite the wind.”
Terry Gale,
chairman of the
Exporters' Club Western Cape,
said the improvement at the
terminal was obvious to all.
“They have made massive
inroads and we have not seen
the delays of the last season
at all. Cargo is moving even
though the wind is blowing
and the number of days that
the port has been
wind-bound have
been few and far
between.”