Ship building and ship repair have been identified as areas of strategic focus for the ports of Cape Town and Saldanha, according to Nozipho Mdawe, COO of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).
Mdawe told FTW that while the two ports were relatively close to each other the decision to focus on ship building and repair in both locations was based on delivering a service where customers did not have to go from port to port to access specific services but could get what they required in one location.
“We have employed a ship repair executive manager who will lead the creation of an enabling environment for this industry to thrive in the ports of Cape Town and Saldanha,” said Mdawe. “Already we are making steady progress on projects and plans to modernise our ship repair facilities to ensure they are internationally competitive to attract more business to our shores.”
The Port of Cape Town has four ageing ship repair facilities which are managed, maintained and operated by TNPA – including the 130-year-old Robinson dry dock, the 70-year-old Repair Pier and Sturrock dry dock, and the 45-year-old Syncrolift. Mdawe said the port’s ship repair facilities were receiving urgent attention and R950 million had been allocated to modernising them.
“While the Robinson dry dock floating caisson was recently refurbished, it is the ultimate intention to replace the structure with a modern, fit-for-purpose caisson structure for which the design process will be undertaken in the near future,” she said. “Aligned with our investment in upgrading these facilities is the investment in the new Cape Town Maritime Training Centre.”
Mdawe said Cape Town would also be pioneering the investigation of “green ship recycling”.
“This project will put Cape Town and Saldanha, in fact the entire South African port system, on the global map as an environmentally conscious port system where ships are built, launched, serviced and supplied with all operational needs and then ultimately recycled in an environmentally safe way.”
