RB is world's number one wood chip exporter

Terry Hutson
RICHARDS BAY is now number one in the world for the export of wood chips, thanks to first class infrastructure and know-how. That's the word from Central Timber Co-operative (CTC) CEO Rein Franz.
He said this on board the Mitsui OSK Line's latest wood chip carrier, Universal Green, when she called at the port on her maiden voyage last week to load 37 000 tons of eucalyptus wood chip for Japan. The 54 053 dwt ship is the world's third largest wood chip carrier and the MOL fleet has the largest number of wood chip carriers.
In 2001 CTC commissioned a new R85 million wood chip line that increased capacity at the Richards Bay mill to 2,1 million tons a year. The chip line consists of the world's largest travelling loader capable of loading up to a phenomenal 1 000 tons an hour, which considerably reduces ships' turnaround time.