Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has the southern hemisphere transshipment market firmly within its crosshairs, having, thus far, injected some R14-billion into the development of the purpose-built Ngqura container terminal (NCT) at the Port of Ngqura, in the Eastern Cape – located within the region’s critical Coega special economic zone (SEZ).

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown last week officially opened two new berths at the NCT and lauded the delivery of new port infrastructure, telling stakeholders that the move marked a significant step in parastatal Transnet’s efforts to expand the port’s capacity and position the NCT as a regional transshipment hub.

“It is important to ensure that our terminals work optimally, work reliably and work all the time,” she commented.

Improvements to the terminal, which had strategic linkages with terminals in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Richards Bay and Durban, while servicing traffic from the East, South America and West African markets, had already taken its net yearly operating capacity from 800 000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 1.5-million TEUs.

The terminal’s second-phase expansion was, meanwhile, progressing to plan, with two additional ship-to-shore cranes and 18 rubber-tyred gantry cranes with supporting trailers now commissioned.

TPT GM of operations in the Eastern Cape Siya Mhlaluka told Engineering News during a recent tour of the terminal that the organisation ultimately aimed to boost the terminal’s yearly handling capacity to 2.2-million TEUs, allowing it to leverage its proximity to the Coega SEZ and providing further opportunities for back-of-port operations.

Up to 60% of the terminal’s cargo comprised transshipment products, while 40% were import or export products.

“Since becoming operational in 2009, the [terminal] has surpassed many expectations and was, last year, profiled as the fastest-growing port in the country.

It also has the deepest container terminal in Southern Africa, boasting a 16 m draft,” he said.

Brown added that recent investment by government would strengthen the terminal’s capacity to handle larger container vessels, as well as improve efficiencies, vessel turnaround times and customer satisfaction.

“It also ticks crucial boxes in government’s developmental agenda, while boosting the Eastern Cape’s role in the broader economy,” she said, noting that the terminal employed just over 825 employees, with about 98% being from the Eastern Cape.

Transnet outlined further plans to invest R30.1-billion in its various operations in the Eastern Cape over the next seven years, which formed part of its larger strategy to increase the country’s container terminal capacity by 70.8% to 7.35-million TEUs.

Meanwhile, Mhlaluka confirmed to Engineering News last week that Transnet would relocate its existing manganese terminal in Port Elizabeth to the Port of Ngqura as it grew handling capacity to 16-million tons a year.

The relocation would see the building of a fully operational terminal port and landside infrastructure, the installation of quay wall equipment, the construction of rail infrastructure and the acquisition of rolling stock, such as wagons and locomotives.

Transnet had earlier said this move would position the Port of Ngqura as a leading manganese ore exporter in the global market.