Plans for short-term developments estimated to cost close to one billion rand at the country’s oldest port are well underway, with an environmental impact study for one project expected by the end of July.
Said Billy Cilliers, Cape Town port manager of planning and development, on Wednesday: ”We want to extend the existing longquay container terminal by three hundred metres, in a north-easterly direction.
”Pre-feasibility costing estimates this to cost around R400-million, with an environmental impact study performed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research expected at the end of July.”
Cilliers said the current container terminal which was designed in the late 1960s as a multi-purpose facility had as ”an inherent fault” the fact it was not wide enough.
This impacted on stack layout which affected efficiency in the terminal with regard to world class standards.
”We are now averaging 16 containers per crane hour, but are aiming for 20 to 25 containers.”
He said the container terminal capacity was determined using three factors, namely berths, stacking and equipment such as cranes with the stacking capacity specifically needing to be increased.
”At present stack capacity is the limiting factor, not berth or equipment,” he said.
Cilliers said once the environmental impact study — the first for the port and looking at issues such as shoreline dynamics, archeology, ecology and transport — were completed, it would go to the government for a decision.
”We are looking at the actual design and construction to by completed by 2007/2008.”
The other area of development would be the lay-up basin, commonly known as Elliot Basin, adjacent to Sturrock dry dock. It was planned for this area to be the new world class ship repair facility.
”This still has a fair way to go, but it is our intention to have the internal processes completed with a proposal to the market before the end of this year. The facility will cost in the region of about R300m to R400m,” said Cilliers.
He said that the port was hoping to attract a floating dock on a temporary basis to help with ship repairs while the new facility was under construction.
The two new developments at the port, which would be concessioned, had attracted ”lots of interest from concessionaires, with the market, opportunities and vessels there”.
Cilliers said the final development currently embarked upon, related to the Port Industrial Park, with R11-million being spent by the National Port Authority on preparing land adjacent to the port.
This land will be leased to port-related industries such as a container depot, cold storage and ship building facilities.
”We envisage this 14 hectares of land to be incorporated into the port, and will require traffic re-routing and dedicated roads to the port. It form part of a 7 to 15 year plan,” said Cilliers.
Asked whether the current planning conceived of passenger liners, and the perception among tourism authorities that a specific facility should be built to accommodate such ships and passengers, Cilliers said they were engaged in discussions with among others, the provincial government.
”On average 30 cruise liners arrive here per year. Of this at least 70% or 21 ships go to number 2 jetty at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront with its very good facilities.
”That means only 30% or nine vessels go to the general port’s E-berth in the Duncan Dock,” said Cilliers.
The port authorities had in its development plans a multi-user berth at the end of A-berth near the Southarm area, which would facilitate cruise ships not able to dock at number 2 jetty.
”Others want to develop the facility in Duncan Dock, but this would have a negative impact for the port operations,” he said, highlighting the fact that many of the cruise ships only spent 24 hours in port anyway. – Sapa