Predictions indicate a much more stable operation at the Richards Bay Terminals in the latter part of 2024, considering the major inroads made in recent months.According to Thulasizwe Dlamini, managing executive for the Richards Bay Terminals, this progress includes the return of the conveyor belt to operation and a reduction in the truck congestion that occurred at the end of last year. “There is also improvement in the supply of rail to the t er m i na l. We have seen a 250% increase in coal trains arriving at the terminal, resulting in much more f luidity than we have seen to date.”He said that with these improvements, the focus was now on enhancing efficiencies in Richards Bay. “We are concentrating on strategic commodities, particularly chrome and magnetite. Over the next six months, we will be pushing to ensure a stable and reliable supply chain for these materials.”Given South Africa's substantial reserves of several key resources, he emphasised the importance of having supply chains for these commodities.“While the terminal is far more f luid than it has been in the past 36 months, we still have some challenges to overcome. Much like the Port of Durban, aged equipment continues to hamper operations. We are actively working to source new and more reliable equipment to deploy in our operations,” he told Freight News.He noted that most of the challenges were at the multipurpose terminal, which utilised mobile pieces of equipment, unlike the conveyor belt-driven dry bulk terminal. “We need more reliable equipment to maintain f luidity and efficiency at the terminal,” he said. “The second major challenge in Richards Bay is from an environmental perspective. Given the types of commodities we handle, we must continually focus on running as clean an operation as possible to minimise our environmental impact.”In this regard, efforts to improve the environmental impact were paying off, said Dlamini, indicating that they were working closely with the necessary authorities and harnessing expertise to reduce their carbon footprint and lower emissions.Dlamini emphasised that the terminal remained cognisant of its crucial role and how any operational lapses could negatively impact the supply chain. “We are striving to deliver services that meet our customers' needs and enable them to maintain competitive supply chains. While there are circumstances beyond our control, we keep communication channels open, ensuring we build strong relationships with our customers and keep them informed about developments.”He highlighted that delivering more agile logistics solutions was a priority, but as a state-owned entity, strict protocols had to be followed. “In this regard, we are collaborating with various government departments, including Treasury and the Transnet board, to expedite processes and provide solutions that meet the private sector's needs while adhering to legal requirements and compliance with legislation and regulations. We believe we are making significant progress, and our efforts are beginning to yield results.”
