Transnet Port Terminal has reported that it has completed work on a number of different aspects of its R5.6 billion (approximately US$775 million), five-year investment plan aimed at increasing the capacity of the Cape Town Container Terminal.

Over the past six months, 16 rubber tyred gantries (RTG) have been phased into the terminal and a further 16 RTGs are earmarked to arrive in the second half of this year.

“The strategic advantage of the RTG is dense stacking - six rows wide, five containers high and 30 deep - thereby providing better utilisation of space,” explained Moshe Motlohi, Executive of the Cape Town Terminal.

“These converted RTG blocks boast stacking capacity of 6900 TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) slots in total, presenting an increase in stacking capacity of up to 40 per cent."

"This will assist in increasing the overall container capacity of the terminal capacity from 740,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 1,4 million TEUs by our end target of 2012.”

The first block was completed in October 2009, with a further two blocks completed by December 2009, utilising eight RTGs in total.

Additional buffer storage of 1200 TEU slots is currently being provided to enable further reconfiguration work on the long quay to commence in April 2010.

The remainder of the terminal’s equipment replacement programme of phasing-in RTGs to replace straddle carriers is also well underway, according to Mr Motlohi.

“Towards the end of 2009, the terminal received the second and third batches of 25 haulers which brought the total number received to date by the terminal to 47 haulers valued at R87m,” he said.

The five year expansion programme kicked off in January 2007 and is expected to be completed in 2012.

Source: Port Finance