Durban - Managing executive at the Richards Bay Terminal, Thula Dlamini, says they are making huge ground to reduce the number of trucks entering the terminal and Port of Richards Bay following a major fire that caused damage and affected operations since October 2021.
Dlamini said after the fire damaged the conveyor belts, the port entered a difficult time as it was designed to receive cargo by rail.
“These conveyor belts were servicing ArcelorMittal South Africa (Amsa), Foskor and Grindrod into the Richards Bay Terminal. This caused an increase in the number of trucks.”
According to Dlamini, the repairs were still ongoing to the conveyor belt.
“We are pushing to have the conveyor belts repaired by December. We were forced into a situation where there were more trucks going back and forth from the terminal from Amsa, Foskor and Grindrod. Remember not long after the conveyor belts were damaged there was an increase in the demand for coal. One of the reasons was the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This put further strain as there was a coal boom and more trucks were on the roads.”
Dlamini added that not all the trucks that cause the traffic (chaos) were destined for the port.
“During these situations some entities established back of port facilities where they were taking cargo and storing it, but not entering the terminal but rather waiting for the vessels to come and then shuttle to the vessel. This was causing chaos.”
He said over the past few months the port had been able to reduce the number of trucks entering due to the truck booking system.
“We have managed to reduce the amount of trucks from 1 500 trucks a day to the manageable 700 trucks per day, as the truck booking system is becoming effective, and stringent controls discourage unannounced truck calls. This means that trucks without a slot park outside the port and wait for their turn.”
Dlamini said going forward strategically the Richards Bay Terminal had a lot of potential and could contribute to the economy.
“We want to strategically use the conveyor belts to move more commodities and in this way unlock the full potential of the Richards Bay Terminal. We are starting to learn about how the conveyor belts can be improved with the repairs taking place and how this can lead to higher productivity.”
He added that as part of the Port Master Plan they were looking at expanding the Richards Bay Terminal.
“We are looking at more conveyor belts increasing transport of cargo from rail to road, increasing the amount of commodities being transported and unlocking the potential of the terminal even more.”
Dlamini said the Port Master Plan sought to invest and increase infrastructure.
“Some of the things that we are looking at are more docking stations for vessels and more berthing space. We are also looking to invest in another tippler, this is a machine that locates and offloads wagons. We currently have two and want a third that will increase the amount of wagons being offloaded per day.
“Transnet has also been open to working with other stakeholders and private partners. The Port of Richards Bay is critical to South Africa as it transports more than 90% of coal mined in South Africa. It’s crucial for the economy of South Africa and so expansion of the Port is major for South Africa as a whole.”