A long-planned replacement of 10 shore-side cranes for TNPA’s Cape Town ship repair facilities has moved into the evaluation stage, as the port authority works to restore lifting capacity and reduce delays in dry dock operations.
Speaking at the recent annual Oceans Economy Conference in Cape Town, acting port manager Ophelia Shabane said the investment formed part of an ongoing strategy to ensure critical equipment remained fit for purpose.
“Our investments are targeted at ensuring that our facilities are not only available but also suitable for today’s environment and capable of meeting the current demand for ship repair services,” she said.
“One of the key things that we’re currently working on is acquiring shore-side cranes. The cranes we had previously reached a point where they had to be written off, and we are now in the evaluation stage of procuring 10 new cranes for our ship repair facilities,” said Shabane.
The cranes would significantly improve operational efficiency. Without them, preparing dry dock blocks for vessels could take four to five days, compared with a matter of hours when the appropriate equipment was available, she said.
“It reduces the time it takes to dock and service a vessel, allowing vessels to come in, complete the required maintenance and leave the dock more quickly.
“Decongesting the port is about improving efficiencies across the board. While significant strides are being made in cargo operations, there are also opportunities to improve within the ship repair space,” she said.
