Port of Ngqura and container-terminal development, South Africa

1st May 2015

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

  

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Name and Location
Port of Ngqura and container-terminal development, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Client
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) and Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), divisions of State-owned company Transnet.

Project Description
The Port of Ngqura, located at the mouth of the Coega river in Algoa Bay, about 20 km north-east of Port Elizabeth, is undergoing development to function as a container and bulk-cargo handling facility. Once complete, the container terminal will have a two-million twenty-foot-equivalent-unit (TEU) capacity.

The project entails the provision and construction of basic port infrastructure, consisting of the breakwater construction; the dredging of the basin and channels; a sand bypass system; seven berths, comprising a four-berth container terminal, a two-berth multipurpose terminal and a one-berth liquid-bulk terminal, as well as backup areas; initial landside infrastructure; a pilot boat and tugs; and the upgrade of the rail link from Ngqura to Gauteng.

The new 60 000 ha terminal includes a 16 m to 18 m draft alongside the berths, enabling it to accommodate new generation vessels of 8 000 to 9 000 TEUs.

Phase 1 of the project created capacity of up to 800 000 TEUs a year, which became available from the third quarter of 2009. The scope of the work included extending the quay wall to 1 300 m, equipping the first 720 m with landside equipment and upgrading of the corridor rail link from Ngqura to Gauteng.

The Ngqura–Gauteng rail corridor is served by a rail terminal comprising dedicated infrastructure and rolling stock, a marshalling yard, a mainline connection and upgrades to the hinterland network, promising efficient rail turnaround of under six hours. The rail infrastructure also includes two rail-mounted gantry cranes that span four railway tracks, with a wheel span of 22.5 m. The Ngqura rail operations started in October 2009.

Phase 2 will include equipment for all the berths to increase capacity to two-million TEUs. Planning of the Port of Ngqura has been integrated with the planning of the adjacent Coega industrial development zone for efficiency and increased economic benefit to businesses in this location.

Value
Transnet has invested more than R10-billion to develop the state-of-the-art port and associated infrastructure.

Duration
The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

Latest Developments
The last of the 26 mooring units comprising the Port of Ngqura’s automated mooring system (AMS) have arrived and are expected to improve port efficiency and safety, further driving the TNPA’s objective of establishing the port as a leading transshipment hub for the sub-Saharan Africa region.

The AMSs were procured from global engineering group Cavotec and were designed, custom-manufactured and installed to meet the specific environmental conditions of the port.

The system will complement manual berthing teams at the port by stabilising container vessels on the quayside at the click of a button, reducing docking and undocking times from between 10 and 40 minutes to less than ten seconds,” TNPA CEO Richard Vallihu explains.

The AMS technology uses remote-controlled vacuum pads recessed in or mounted on the quayside to moor and release vessels in seconds, increasing productivity.

A unique capability of the AMS is that the vessel will be kept almost static while alongside the quay, with minimal movements of up to 50 mm only.

This is made possible by the unique design of the pneumatic AMS units that can move vertically and horizontally, owing to wind and wave actions, and “walk” up and down the vessel to accommodate tidal variations.

Technicians from Cavotec have been on site since November 2014, assembling and testing units at Berth D100 – one of four berths at the Ngqura container terminal that will be equipped with the technology.

As part of the contract, Cavotec will upskill local mechanical and electrical companies to enable them to provide ongoing technical support, maintenance and repairs.

Ngqura maintenance staff have also received specialised training, while operational training will take place after all the units have been installed by the end of August.

The system will, thereafter, be rolled out to three additional berths at the Ngqura container terminal.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Ngqura Harbour Contractors, a joint venture (JV) between Hochtief Construction, Concor Holdings and Ngqura Empowerment Contractors (construction of the harbour); Siyaya Civils & Building Contractors and Pambo Civils Engineering Contractors & Consultants (contract for the control of sand erosion around the harbour); Jan de Nul (dredging of the harbour); Shaw Controls (main distribution boards, supply and installation of busbar trunking, and switch socket outlet kiosks); Busbar Installation (busbar trunking manufacture subcontract) and electrical subcontracting JV comprising Hatch, Mott McDonald and Goba (distribution boards installation); the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (environmental-impact assessment for additional container berths and the administration craft basin); African Explosives; Abacus; Ballenden & Rob; Barloworld; Caissons; Concor Roads; Concrete Finishing Equipment; Concor-Bridge; Deranco Blocks; Dura Piling; Earthcon; Ensutech; Fanilo Construction; Fabscan Man; Geomechanics; Ibhayi Manufacturing; Interconnect Systems; Johnsons Crane; Jones & Wagener; Mammoet; RMS-WRS JV; Sibakhulu; Sibobili; SRK Consulting; Steyns Drilling Trust; Vuka Steel; Yima Afrika; WK Construction; Metro Building Contractors; Masakheni Civils; Umanyano Electric; LR Builders; PDP Construction; Shahied Flooring & Carpeting; Nobulali Builders; Siyakhula Renovators; Devs Construction; Grinaker-LTA; Grinaker-LTA Civils; Grinaker-LTA Buildings; Hotchief Concor JV; ALFDAV Construction; Concor Roads & Earthworks; Subtech; Pro-Khaya Construction; Fairmile Fencing; Liebherr; Kalmar; Goss & Balfe; Lennings DEC; Aberdare Cables; B&W; Alstom; Sectional Poles; B&W/Errol Greene JV; Grintek; Transtel ICT and Marine Data Solutions.

The Connec JV comprises Concor Engineering and the CH Warman Pump Group. Through this JV, Concor is responsible for the pipework, electrical installation, pumps, instrumentation and final commissioning. The CH Warman Pump Group has supplied four gravel pumps that will be incorporated into the sand bypass scheme.

On Budget and on Time?
The project is in progress.

Contact Details for Project Information
TPT regional corporate affairs manager – Eastern Cape Terminals, Wandisa Vazi, tel +27 41 507 8320/ 507 1735 or email wandisa.vazi@transnet.net.
Goba, tel +27 21 914 3600, fax +27 21 914 3601 or email infocapetown@goba.co.za.
Hatch, tel +27 11 239 5300 or fax +27 11 239 5790.
Port of Ngqura, tel +27 41 507 1618.
Shaw Controls, tel +27 11 680 4534/62/63/64/79, fax +27 11 433 3569 or email enquiries@shaw.zest.co.za.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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