RB coal terminal gets R600m facelift

RICHARDS BAY Coal Export Terminal (RBCT) is to be upgraded to handle an additional 10million tons of coal exports annually. The upgrading of the worldÕs largest coal export handling facility will cost R600million and will take two years to complete. Currently the facility has a handling capacity of 70million tons. General manager Nigel Stevens stated earlier this year that a record 68million tons were expected to be exported during 2001. The expansion will be undertaken jointly by RBCT and South Dunes Coal Terminal (SDCT), with the latter entitled to 6,5million tons of the additional 10million tons of export capacity. Black empowerment entities will be directly responsible, either as producers or owners of coal, for not less that 50%, or 3,25 million tons of the SDCT entitlement.