Objections force CT to rethink expansion plans

R130m order for new straddles confirmed Oscar Borchards … ‘We will have new and reliable equipment, enabling us to initiate better stacking procedures.' RAY SMUTS EVEN THOUGH the jury is still out over the proposed extension of the Cape Town Container Terminal, South African Port Operations is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the business unit runs with the efficiency of a Swiss timepiece as it confirms a R130 million order for new straddle carriers. At the same time, Sapo is currently weighing through tenders for the supply of six new cranes at a combined cost of R96 million, scheduled for delivery in July 2007, and able to see the terminal through for the next 15 years. Cape Town Container Terminal’s 23 ageing straddle carrier fleet will be assigned to other terminals when the first deliveries of 26 brand new Kalmars from Sweden - augmenting the identical four delivered last year – come on stream between March and June next year. Terminal business manager Oscar Borchards sees the R1.9 billion, extension of the terminal as the perfect solution. National Ports Authority’s contribution will be around R1.2 billion and Sapo’s some R700 00. But in the unlikely event of the extension proposal going sour based on environmental objections, alternatives will have to be found if the Mother City port is not going to lose containers to other ports. One such, part of the overall proposal to Environmental Affairs, would be to lengthen the berth by 50 metres and deepen it from the present 13.5 metres to 15 metres, which would allow for larger containerships. The number of berths will however remain at four. Another measure that will have to be taken is strengthening the terminal surface considerably in order to take the weight of the new cranes. The two newer Noels will be retained but the four Demags, more than 25 years old, assigned to other terminals, giving Cape Town eight high cranes. “The benefit of the new deal is that we will have new and reliable equipment, enabling us to initiate better stacking procedures, ideally behind the cranes.” Borchards says SACD Freight will vacate its in-port premises by mid-2006 when it becomes the main tenant at the revamped old Eskom power station site nearby, giving Sapo the ability to stack an additional 200 000 containers. Were one to add the Belcon facility (75 000 containers), the terminal would have overall capacity to store up to 900 000 TEUs. Sapo is currently using the Blue Store, which once housed porthole containers, for storing dry cargo and is committing R42 million to create a new empty stacking area alongside, providing capacity for about 80 000 empties annually. This is to be finalised by the end of the year. “The beauty of this new area,” enthuses Borchards, “is that we will be able to remove empties from the existing stack, thereby creating additional space for import and export boxes.”