Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has completed its Scour Rock Protection Project at the Port of Durban’s A and B berths in time for the peak period of the current 2023/24 cruise season.
Berths A and B, the port’s oldest berths, constructed in the 1900s, were initially designed without scour protection measures in place. The scour project will prevent the scouring of the existing seabed and mitigate the risk of quay wall instability.
Since the completion of the new Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal, the berths have been designated for docking cruise vessels and modification has become imperative to ensure the safe and efficient berthing of the vessels.
The enhancement of A and B berths quay infrastructure was divided into two phases. The first phase, which was completed in 2020, included the installation of 300-tonne dual bitt bollards and the strengthening of the quay wall by installing tie-rods and new foam fenders. The second phase commenced in May 2023 and entailed the installation of the scour protection to further strengthen the berth and prevent undermining of the toe by vessel thrust that will be introduced by the new cruise liners.
The project included extensive dredging to prepare the seabed, followed by the installation of an 800mm-thick scour rock layer of between 200kg and 400kg to secure the port’s infrastructure to prevent erosion.
TNPA Port Manager for the Port of Durban, Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, said the completion of the scour protection showed the port's dedication to environmental sustainability, infrastructure maintenance and economic growth.
“We are continuously improving our port infrastructure to ensure that vessels calling in to the port are protected against any damage and are berthed safely. The benefits of the strengthened quay wall have already been enjoyed by the cruise vessels that we have safely docked since the 2023/24 cruise opening,” said Dweba-Kwetana.
