The R1,2-billion phase V development at the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) was on track for commissioning in July this year, COO Raymond Chirwa said last week.

Addressing delegates at the South African Coal Exports Con-ference, in Cape Town, Chirwa 
explained that the RBCT was now in the final phase of construction, testing and commissioning.

The phase V expansion project would increase the RBCT’s throughput capacity from 72-million tons a year to 91-million tons a year.

The phase V development project, which would cater for an expansion of 19-million tons a year, was divided into three 
elements: four-million tons a year would be allocated to emerging black economic-empowerment miners with modest export 
volumes; six-million tons a year would be allocated to the South Dunes Coal Terminal; and nine-million tons a year would be 
allocated to miners through a subscription process.

With regard to the subscription process, Chirwa stated that the RBCT had received 26 applications for access to the phase V development to date, but only 18 of these had been deemed eligible.

Chirwa explained that these 18 applicants had been allocated 
8,95-million tons of the new 
expansion but 10,05-million tons had still to be catered for.

He said that the RBCT had 
already undertaken preliminary investigations for growth beyond 91-million tons.

It was envisaged that the RBCT 
could expand its capacity to 110-
million tons a year in the long term.

However, Chirwa warned that such expansion of the terminal was dependent on an economically sustainable business case to meet future demand.

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