Walvis Bay wants to be a 500 000 teu port

The Namibian Ports Authority has embarked on a major port expansion plan with ship repair facilities a part of the mix. “Over the past four years we’ve seen phenomenal growth at Walvis Bay which has established itself as a transhipment hub for the west coast of Africa and a gateway for the Sadec market,” manager: sales and service at Namport, Elias Mwenyo, told FTW. The port has expanded its container terminal, deepened the draught, acquired new equipment and invested in computer software to jack up efficiency. “But it’s not enough,” says Mwenyo, who is upbeat about growth opportunities. “Our current quay is 1.34km long. The objective is to have a quay covering 2.8 km because we are a common user facility and should be able to accommodate the fishing industry as well as the offshore repair industry. “In terms of capacity, we are currently a 150 000 teu port. In future we want to be a half a million teu port.” In addition, the port’s equipment will be substantially upgraded – rubber tyre gantries, additional harbour cranes and trailers are all on the acquisition list. “We are looking at getting the contractor on site at the latest by December 2009 to commence with our expansion plan,” said Mwenyo. But Walvis Bay is not only interested in increasing cargo volumes. “With the boom in oil exploration we see an opportunity to establish Walvis Bay as a ship repair hub for ships and oil rigs and to serve as a supply base for exploration. “By 2015 we will be able to accommodate three rigs at a time.”