More ports get ‘smart’

The Ports of Cape Town and Saldanha yesterday became the latest to go live with Transnet National Ports Authority’s new R79-million web-based Integrated Port Management System (IPMS). The system has been piloted at the Port of Durban since July.

IPMS replaces manual processes and enables key port operations to managed online and in real time across TNPA’s eight commercial ports. All vessels arriving at the two Western Cape ports between 26 and 31 August will be allowed priority registration, provided vessels’ agents are trained. Other Cape Town and Saldanha vessel agents will be able to register on the system as and when they are ready to transact.

Since IPMS was introduced in Durban over 108 vessel agents have been registered on the system and 135 vessel arrival notifications were processed within the first three weeks.

Chief executive Richard Vallihu said: “Global ports are adopting ‘smartPORT’ concepts and the world is increasingly embracing digital technologies and data analytics to make sense of the information that we have around us. Gathering that information in the first place is a challenge. This online system will help transform our ocean gateways into smartPORTs by using advanced information technology that will make them more intelligent and sustainable, while conserving resources, time, space and energy.”

He added: “As TNPA we believe that the glue or the backbone of our entire port system is information systems, but in an integrated way where we manage just about every input and output to make monitoring, tracking, evaluating and optimising a lot simpler.”

Vallihu said the IPMS was benchmarked against Malaysian and Singaporean ports which were among the world’s most efficient.

The next ports to go live will be Port Elizabeth, Ngqura, East London and finally Richards Bay and Mossel Bay.