Positive news on plans to beef up ship repair industry
I HAVE been to the conference centre several times. Often, I have come away frustrated at having heard the same old stuff dished up by the same old people whose offerings, they all said, would revitalise the dormant shipping industry.
Last Monday’s gathering at the conference centre was different. The port authority laid on a breakfast to convey a very positive picture. Over the next five years, they told us, R2.18 billion has been ear-marked to beef up the ship repair industry in South African ports, including upgrades for Cape Town’s drydocks and the cranes that are so vital to the ship repair sector.
A further huge sum will create new repair facilities. Hopefully, the large drydock about which I have had much to say will now see the light of day.
A tract of land in Richards Bay is available for development, possibly for a repair complex.
The current capacity of Cape Town’s container terminal is about 0.9 million teu and as its expected throughput is likely to grow considerably, its capacity needs to be expanded.
The quay that can accommodate three of the large containerships is now regarded as inadequate to cope with future volumes of shipping, and a major extension is being planned. The futuristic picture of the harbour shown to us last Monday is similar to the plan I saw back in 1971 during research into harbour developments. At that time, the container terminal (called phase one) was under construction and phase two – marked with a dotted line on the plan – extended towards Milnerton.
A decade ago when the port folks were planning the recent upgrade of the terminal, the green lobby had that extension thrown out. So I was delighted to see that the sensible idea to extend the terminal has been dusted off and is back on the agenda.
Later, I watched the 300-metre containership MSC Arbatax turning in the container basin that has become a little cramped now for these large regular callers. And even larger vessels are coming! TNPA deserves support if the terminal is to be extended.
The vantage point from which I watched MSC Arbatax turn is an extensive building site where the Burgan liquid bulk terminal is taking shape.
Once commissioned in April 2017, the terminal will have 12 tanks to store petrol, diesel and a variety of other imported oil products, injecting about R650 million into the Western Cape’s economy.
Surprisingly, bunker fuel – often in short supply here – is not among the commodities listed for storage here.
A visit arranged by the port folks revealed a pleasant surprise. We stood outside a building at E Berth that once housed Safmarine’s marine department, its crewing office, its chartering and reefer operation.
The company’s name still stands prominently on the wall.
While the exterior of the building needs some TLC, we found that its interior holds exciting prospects for young people.
Prospective tug crews, port control officers and members of the lighthouse service will receive simulated training in the spaces that once were a hive of activity in the heyday of Safmarine.
The interesting day with TNPA left me excited and positive. But there was a disquieting note.
Apart from RMS St Helena at E Berth, fishing vessels at J and K Berths and small craft at the Repair Quay, the rest of the Duncan Dock was empty.
Bunker berths at the Landing Wall stood idle.
Yet on Monday, more than 60 ships bypassed the Cape! Is this wonderful port no longer the Tavern of the Seas?