RB dry bulk terminal grinds to a virtual halt

The dry bulk terminal (DBT) for exports at Richards Bay has ground to a near stop, with anything between six and eight vessels anchored off-shore every day waiting for berthing and costing the shippers and the freight industry millions of rand. For the past three to four weeks, according to Mike van Rooyen, RB vice-chairman of the SA Association of Ships’ Operators and Agents (Saasoa), there have been berthing delays for the export vessels calling at the port of between 10 and 17 days. For the exporters, the demurrage costs between US$30 000 and US$40 000 per vessel per day, and adds up to “a huge amount of money”, he added. Also for the shippers, there’s a problem of the cost of large tonnages of dry bulk goods stockpiling at the port, a serious delay to their traffic flow scheduling, and damaged reputations as consistent suppliers in the world’s markets. The problem, according to Van Rooyen, is a combination of ageing and inadequate equipment, continuous changes of senior engineers, and not enough proactive planning by terminal management. “During 2007,” he said, “five top engineers resigned as they were fed up with the system. “Also the outdated equipment is continually breaking down and disrupting the loading processes, and management just seems utterly unable to sort it out.” he said. And it’s nothing new. “We’ve been in discussions with what was then the chief operating officer of SA Port Operations (Sapo), and is now the Transet Port Terminals’ (TPT) business unit manager, for the past five years,” said Van Rooyen. “And, although we have had several promises, we don’t get any action taken – and some people have lost millions. “It seems that the local management team has lost control.” Saasoa has also taken its complaints to high level – last week having discussed the matter with the TPT CEO Tau Morwe. “Due to the serious nature of our problems,” said van Rooyen, “we believe that Morwe is the only person who can resolve these issues. “Alternatively, we will have no option but to address these issues with Transnet CEO, Maria Ramos. “We have no confidence in the current management structure at DBT Richards Bay.”