Ship repairs in Cape Town to be privatised

Port will now be more efficient and more competitive RAY SMUTS POOR USE of ship repair facilities in the port of Cape Town is to be rectified through a process of privatisation. The successful bid has been awarded to the Makana/DCD-Dorbyl/Mediro consortium. What the consortium intends is not yet clear as the National Ports Authority, landlord of all major ports, is about to engage in negotiations to finalise contract details. It intends entering into a leasehold contract for the development and operation of the new, multimillion-rand, facility. Ship repair, maintenance and all that accompanies it, holds great promise for the Mother City port, the Western Cape; and the national economy. Port manager, Sanjay Govan, says: “The incorrect use of facilities has resulted in a loss of revenue for NPA and the local economy as the larger, more lucrative vessel market cannot be serviced adequately.” He adds the new facility will increase the port’s competitiveness by attracting private investment. Port planning manager, Billy Cilliers, says the Sturrock and Robinson dry docks and the Syncrolift regularly have to turn vessels away. Bookings, of necessity, are as far as eight months ahead, hence the need for additional capacity to service smaller vessels. The port’s under-capacity to service smaller vessels has prompted the “ineffective use” of the Sturrock dry dock (with a docking length of 360m), aimed at larger ship repairs but often having to accommodate the overflow of smaller ships. To meet future demand and increase efficiency, the port awaits proposals for the construction of a new repair facility at the Elliot Basin in the Ben Schoeman Dock. The development could take place over an 18-month period, excluding NPA and Transnet procurement and administration processes. The port’s ship repair infrastructure caters predominantly to off-shore and research vessels and local and foreign fishing fleets.