New Walvis terminal on track for 2017

The new container terminal at the Port of Walvis Bay is on track for its 2017 deadline. According to Elias Mwenyo, acting executive marketing for Namport, the expansion project for the port kicked off earlier this year and so far so good. “The new container terminal is expected to be commissioned no later than March 2017 when the existing container terminal will become a multifunctional terminal.” Mwenyo told delegates at the Oil and Gas Africa 2014 conference in Cape Town recently that the upgrading and developments at the port were in line with Namibia’s goal of being a logistics hub in southern Africa by 2025. “Our goal is already to double the current volumes being handled by the port by 2017 and to do that we have to upgrade our container terminal which is just about at capacity.” The port is currently handling around 377 000 TEUs annually. The new investment will ramp up capacity to at least 750 000 TEUs. He said the complementary breakbulk and bulk port that would be constructed in Walvis Bay was a viable alternative for southern African countries and already agreements were in place with landlocked countries such as Zambia and Botswana. “A major coal terminal is planned for this port to service the massive coal finds in Botswana and an agreement is in place between Botswana and Namibia for the construction of a railway linking the two countries to transport the coal,” said Mwenyo. While many of the port’s plans appeared ambitious, they were confident they could deliver on the targets set, he added. “We have given ourselves 36 months to complete the container terminal and while it is early days we are very happy with the progress being made and believe these are realistic targets that will be met.”