Ngqura evicts renewable energy customers

A decision by authorities at the Port of Ngqura not to renew a lease on a piece of land will affect the movement of cargo in the renewable energies sector. The land, currently being used as a laydown area for renewable energy cargo, has been earmarked for development and other use by port authorities that have given notice to the current tenants. According to Eugene Yntema, project manager for ALE Heavy Lift South Africa, they are desperately looking for other space in the area. “We are hoping to find a laydown area in the Ngqura Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), otherwise we are going to run into trouble.” He said already the area being used was pushing capacity. “The laydown area is jam-packed and we have a vessel arriving next week so we are working hard to clear it to make space for the new shipment of cargo. With the lease expiring it is essential that we find another area – and possibly even a bigger area than what we currently have.” This is in light of the growing renewable energy sector in the country, he said. “Also a lot of the cargo is moving to projects in the Northern and Eastern Cape so it makes sense to use the Port of Ngqura,” said Yntema. And considering the tight schedules governing the wind and solar projects there is a move away from South Africa’s busiest ports. Richards Bay and Durban continue to see delays due to the huge amount of cargo handled while Ngqura is not that congested as yet. There is also increased use at the Port of Saldanha. “Projects in the renewable energy sector need a resilient supply chain that can be adapted on a daily basis,” said Yntema. “There has to be harmony across the entire chain otherwise you are at risk.” For him and other experts in the sector there is a definite need for greater commitment to ensure the free and easy movement of cargo. “There is a lot of support for clean energy, but we are still talking too much. We need people to come to the table around issues such as the lease of a laydown area at a port servicing this sector being cancelled.” Experts maintain that one of the biggest risks in the renewable energy supply chain lies with the ports in the country. Congestion continues to be problematic with very little rail capacity available. CAPTION The Port of Ngqura … it makes sense to use the port since a lot of the projects are in the Northern and Eastern Cape.