Strong winds delayed phase one of the Cape Town port expansion and necessitated that reinforcements be added to the quay wall to make it strong enough to withstand the weight of new cranes in the face of the area’s strong winds.

Berth 601 was deepened to 15,5 m and also had to be strengthened and securely anchored before the new cranes could be put in place on the berth.

The new cranes, which are being installed at the port, are much bigger and heavier than the previous cranes, explains Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) Cape Town business unit execu- tive Oscar Borchards. He says that the additional strengthening of the berth was necessary for safety reasons. “These [new cranes] are monsters compared to the previous ones so, from a safety perspective, it had to be done.” TPT has engaged the services of engineers to find ways to modify the new cranes so that they will be able to withstand wind speeds of up to 100 km/h.

The first four of six new Liebherr cranes are being assembled on site before being moved onto the berth. The two remaining cranes have been ordered and are expected to be in the country by June this year. All the cranes should be assembled by the end of the year, says Borchards.

The new cranes are included in the expansion in order to cater for the ‘new-generation vessels’ that are handling cargo coming into and leaving from South Africa’s ports, says Borchards. These new vessels are bigger, longer, deeper and wider than previous vessels.

In addition to dredging the basin to make it deeper, the new cranes have been bought because they have a longer reach and can carry heavier loads than the previous cranes used at the port. The acquisition of these new cranes is part of a concerted effort to meet the demands of the shipping import and export industry, says Borchards. The six new Liebherrs also have a twin-lift capacity, which allows two containers to be lifted simultaneously, thus improving efficiency of cargo handling at the port.

The acquisition of new cranes in ports across the country is part of TPT’s goal to standardise equipment. Borchards explains that the standardisation of equipment will make equipment maintenance more effective.

Developers initially wanted to extend the port on the Milnerton side of Cape Town. However, this was not approved on environmental grounds. Instead, the project was developed on existing land and focused more on equipment upgrades. An additional environmental challenge for a project of this scope was the sourcing of an appropriate location for the dumping of the sandfill which was dredged from the basin. Borchards explains that the sandfill was moved to a pre- approved location out at sea.

The Cape Town port upgrade is expected to be completed by 2012. The cost of the upgrade is estimated at R4,2-billion and is part of TPT parent company Transnet’s R78-billion investment in port-related projects around the country.

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