The Port of East London’s Princess Elizabeth Dry Dock has reopened after a R60-million refurbishment programme.
The project involved the refurbishment of the facility’s main shut-off valves and rehabilitation of the caisson gate.
“The project to refurbish the caisson gate addressed corrosion and leaks, successfully eliminated potential safety and operational risks, and resulted in an improvement in the overall operational efficiency at the facility,” said port manager Sharon Sijako.
“In addition, refurbishment of the dry dock shut-off valves and related equipment has significantly reduced the time required to flood the dock and improved its operational efficiency,” she said.
Sijako added that the revitalisation of the dry dock had not only positioned the Port of East London for growth, but had also unlocked significant economic opportunity for Buffalo City Metro and the wider region.
“East London is uniquely positioned within the South African port system to facilitate and accelerate both ship repair and boat building operations,” she said.
