With close to 60% of the work already completed on Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA’s) R30-million caisson repair project at the 90-year old Prince Edward Graving Dry Dock in Durban, the project’s handover date has been brought forward by a month to November 25.

The four-month project initially entailed a two-month nonoperational period in August and September, followed by a partly operational period in October and November.

However, as previously reported, the contractor was unable to take occupation of the dry dock, owing to an unexpected delay on the repair of the hospital ship Africa Mercy. The project, therefore, started on August 20.

TNPA Durban port manager Moshe Motlohi said in a statement that the delayed start impacted on the erection of scaffolding and the appointed contractor’s occupation of the dock, which had a direct knock-on effect on critical path activities and threatened to push the completion date of the project to December 24.

Owing to the 21 working days that were lost at the start of the project, it became apparent that the contractor’s methodology would need to be changed.

“We have tried to minimise any further impact on the ship repair industry by taking measures to bring the project completion date forward by a month, although the dock’s nonoperational period has been extended from late October to also end on November 25,” he said.

TNPA said it had formally engaged with the South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents and the South African Ship Builders and Repairers Association to keep them abreast of the adjusted timelines.

“While the revised methodology presents the benefit of an earlier project completion, it also poses serious risks associated with docking a vessel while the project is in progress. Dry dock bookings will, therefore, only be accepted for dates after November 25,” Motlohi added.

This was the third and final phase of a comprehensive repair programme on the dry dock’s outer caisson, which was deemed unsafe and in need of repair.

Work completed, to date, included the refurbishment of certain sections of the 35-m-long, 900 t steel caisson and the installation of other new sections.

Additional work included demolition and waste disposal, structural repair, welding, modification and replacement of structural members and plates, design and fabrication certification, commissioning and final handover.

The outer caisson repair project was the first of 11 Operation Phakisa projects at the dry dock and formed part of TNPA’s large-scale repair programme for the facility.

The authority had accelerated planned refurbishments of existing ship repair facilities at its ports in line with the South African government’s Operation Phakisa initiative, which aimed to unlock the economic potential of South Africa’s oceans.

Under Transnet’s Market Demand Strategy, the plans were a key aspect of TNPA’s R35-billion-plus investments into port infrastructure, capacity and maintenance over seven years, ending 2019.