Transnet spells out Salisbury Island plans

After an extremely frustrating two months trying to get an update on the Pier 1/Salisbury Island infill in the Durban harbour, and the creation of an additional 1.8-million-TEUs-per-annum container terminal, FTW can at long last reveal that the completion is planned for 2021. Also the design work for filling in the area that was once used as the inner anchorage and the building of a new quay from the corner of Pier 1 (Berths 104A and 103) to Salisbury Island is expected to be ready in July this year. This was explained to us by port manager Moshe Motlohi at a briefing session held at the port. He added that the project would include the reclamation of a 21-hectare area, creating 1 288 metres of productive quay length and sufficient for three berths. The required draught of these berths is to be -16.5m and the project will also need to include a deepening of the basin and the approach channel from the current -12.8m charted depth (CD) to -16.5m CD. This will allow the berthing of fully laden vessels of 9 200 TEU capacity with a draft of 14.5m. Motlohi also explained that a number of elements were currently in the FEL3 (execution development) feasibility stage. These were the design work, the planned construction completion and the planned capacity increase of Pier 1 from 0.7m to 2.5m TEUs. Motlohi added that certain environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies had already commenced, but that the EIA had not yet been lodged. This Salisbury Island infill project has been seen as a necessary interim protection against the present container capacity of the Port of Durban becoming overstrained. And the reason for FTW’s efforts to get an update on the project was that Durban dig-out port project manager, Marc Descoins, told us at this time last year that the project had “become more urgent” and that Transnet was pushing to bring the extra capacity on-stream at the earliest date possible. It was, he added, designed to prevent the port going into a congested mode before the dig-out port began operations. And 2021 is when this 1.8m-TEU relief valve should be ready to open. INSERT & CAPTION 2021 is when this 1.8m-TEU relief valve should be ready to open. – Moshe Motlohi CAPTION Salisbury Island