Name and Location
Walvis Bay port expansion project, Namibia.

Project Description
The Namibia Ports Authority (NamPort) plans to expand and deepen the Walvis Bay port to cater for increased business from the Southern African Development Community hinterland.

The port's master plan includes the expansion of the port's berths and quay, increasing handling capacity to 500 000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) a year.

Currently, the port handles about 260 000 TEUs a year. The current berths - 1 to 3 - are to be expanded and upgraded. The container storage area is to be expanded to a throughput capacity of 500 000 containers a year.

The expansion programme will also entail installing new ship-to-shore cranes capable of unloading containers from large vessels, and the purchase of rubber-tyre gantries, which can stack containers 5 m high. This is expected to speed up the unloading and sorting of containers and improve efficiency.The harbour will be dredged from 12,8 m to 16 m to accommodate larger vessels. The floating dock, which is also to be extended, will host a ship and oil-rig repair facility and will have a capacity of 8 000 t, while the syncrolift will have a capacity of 2 000 t.

There are also plans to construct a fishing industry quay, comprising a 25 000-m³ cold-storage facility.

The possibility of turning the Swakopmund-Walvis Bay road into a dual carriageway is also being explored.

Further, the port authority is considering the construction of a waterfront to boost local and international tourism arrivals.

Value
NamPort will invest R2,7-billion in the project over the next three to four years.

Duration
The port expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2013 or early in 2014.

Client
NamPort.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Burmeister & Partners (contracts engineer).

Latest Developments
Earlier this year, a tender, seeking support from financial institutions for the upgrading of the port, was issued.

A short list of funders has already been announced. Funding will most likely comprise a combination of development finance and finance from commercial banks.

Meanwhile, NamPort has issued a tender for all potential bidders interested in the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project.

Tenders close on November 8, 2010, and work is expected to begin in the second half of 2011.

Queries relating to the tender may be forwarded to Elzevir Gelderbloem, tel +264 64 208 2111/2211, fax +264 64 208 2333, cell +264 81 275 5214 or email Elzevir@namport.com.na.

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
Burmeister & Partners, Theo Potgieter, tel +264 64 403 155, fax +264 64 403 162 or email theo@burmeister.com.na.
NamPort, tel +264 64 208 2111 or fax +264 64 208 2323; or Jerome Mouton, tel +264 64 208 2207 or email Jerome@namport.com.na.