New container depot promises greater efficiencies for reefers

Safmarine has welcomed the opening of a new container depot near the Port of Ngqura, saying the new 3000-TEU capacity depot will provide its customers – particularly its reefer customers – with greater cargo efficiencies. According to Craig McCarthy, Safmarine’s Eastern Cape regional executive: “The September 10 opening of a new APM Terminal (formerly SATI) depot near Coega has made it possible for us to offer our Eastern Cape customers specialist reefer services such as storage, maintenance and repair, as well as pre-trip inspection facilities. “And, thanks to a new layout, all these specialist services can now be executed in the same lane, thereby potentially reducing reefer turnaround times by half.” Full staging and storage services for all dry and reefer cargo will, according to McCarthy, also be offered as part of the depot’s Phase 2 project. McCarthy says the opening of the new stateof- the-art depot – which is located within a kilometre radius of Safmarine’s logistics haulier, Roadwing – is also well timed to coincide with a more positive export outlook for the Eastern Cape. “The Eastern Cape’s 2013 citrus season is expected to be an improvement on the disappointing 2012 season and a number of OEM (original equipment manufacturers) are, according to Naamsa’s quarterly review published in August, ramping up vehicle export programmes and production, which also bodes well for the region.” CAPTION Craig McCarthy … more positive export outlook.