The Durban Container Terminal
Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) is seeking to lease straddle carriers and ship-to-shore cranes at the Durban Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 2 for the coming 12 months, in light of the flagship terminal’s performance being negatively affected currently by an unavailability of critical spares.
DCT terminal manager Lulamile Mtetweni reports that TPT’s supply chain management team is seeking to lease the equipment, including second-hand equipment, to cover the period prior to DCT Pier 2 taking delivery of a new fleet.
The new acquisitions include four ship-to-shore cranes, 35 straddle carriers and 63 haulers.
Mtetweni says TPT is also approaching the market for the supply of spares across all 16 of its sea-cargo terminals over a seven-year period.
The spares tender, which is due to close in September 2023, is expected to be awarded in October.
The supply should also benefit DCT Pier 2, where Transnet recently selected International Container Terminal Services Incorporated, of the Philippines, as its preferred partner of a 25-year joint venture (JV) at the terminal.
It is anticipated that the JV will make additional capital investments to increase raising DCT Pier 2’s capacity to 2.8-million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) over the coming five years, from about 1.9-million TEUs currently.
Increasing the terminal’s capacity will depend on berth deepening, however, which will be the responsibility of the Transnet National Ports Authority.