Strategic investments bring PE and East London up to speed

ED RICHARDSON SA PORT Operations is making strategic investments in the Port Elizabeth and East London harbours to ensure they can cope with growing volumes. The refurbishment of Port Elizabeth’s four container cranes is now complete, and the port has started working with all four cranes, says Andries Gouws, manager, projects and technical for the Eastern Cape. The crane rail has been extended by 290 metres to cater for two 290 metre container ships in port at the same time. Additional crane capacity is being catered for by the acquisition of 11 new straddle carriers, with plans for nine more. The new straddles bring the working fleet to 20. Ongoing maintenance has ensured that the older machines are still operational, with Sapo receiving a certificate from engine manufacturer Deutsch for achieving 30 000 hours on the straddles before an engine overhaul was necessary. The standard is 20 000 hours. Capacity of the car terminal is also being increased, with R30-million being invested in resurfacing the parking area. On a dwell time of 25 days, the port can handle 90 000 vehicles a year. “Naturally, if we can reduce that dwell time, we will be able to process more,” he says. Services are being added for the vehicle industry. These include a new car wash facility and further expansion of the parking area. There is still a strong demand for breakbulk through Port Elizabeth, and Sapo is maintaining two wharf cranes and fork-lifts to service these needs. There is also a R50-million refurbishment of the manganese ore bulk terminal to ensure continued operation and reduce dust. In East London, the focus has been on the complete resurfacing of the container terminal at a cost of R20-million. There have also been “extensive” repairs to the grain elevator to address some safety concerns. And, as part of Sapo’s “proactive” approach, plans have been drawn to add five more floors to the car terminal. “This means that we will be ready once volumes have increased sufficiently,” he says.