New ‘half container’ caters for mining sector

The launch of a new
container in the South
African market is set to
enhance and facilitate the
move from road to rail,
especially in the mining
sector.
Logistics company
Santova is introducing the
20-foot half height open top
container in conjunction
with terminal operations
specialists, Nzenga.
The container, especially
designed to carry heavy
bulk cargoes, promises to
minimise transport time and
save cargo handling costs
as it can facilitate onsite
loading and discharge,
according to Santova
Logistics SA managing
director, Lance van Zyl.
“These containers have
been in use in the Australian
mining sector for some
time. They address the
gap in the South African
market perfectly at a time
when there is a call to move
mining commodities from
road to rail.”
At only 1.4m the container
is half the length of a normal
container but can carry
a load of 32 tons. With a
removable roof, both the
front barn doors and rear can
discharge for easy loading.
“The containers can
be loaded from the top or
the side depending on a
customer’s need and at the
final destination they can
be cleared conventionally
or tipped, further reducing
handling cost and time.”
With these containers
the need for bulk wagons
– of which there is a major
shortage in the country – is
minimised as the containers
are transported on flatbed
wagons or trucks.
“The container can be
tipped while on the truck
so there is no need to use
a tipper truck,” said Nathi
Thusi, CEO of Nzenga. “If
on rail, the reach stacker is
used to tip the containers so
it is also a faster and more
effective method.”
With a skewed transport
system in terms of road
and rail, government’s
commitment to moving
cargo to rail has been
looking for just this solution,
said Raisibi Lepule, deputy
director general of the
Department of Public
Enterprises.
“We see this as part
of the innovative solutions
needed to migrate mining
commodities from road
to rail.”
Introduced to the mining
sector, government and
Transnet for the first time
last week, the new containers
are manufactured in China.
They are also seaworthy
although they will only be
utilised in getting product
from the mine to storing
facilities at present.