Good news for truckers servicing the Cape Town Container Terminal is that Transnet Port Terminals has officially opened its new truck entrance and staging area valued at R12 million. This is a significant milestone to the industry and port users.
Its significance will be evident in the alleviation of truck congestion from Duncan Road, located within the port of Cape Town. The new truck entrance comprises of four lanes – and a fifth lane for abnormal cargo – leading into the recently combined A and P Check that serve as a truck and container verification point for the terminal.
The five lanes provide a wider truck entrance channel into the terminal addition, the trucks will now be serviced from kiosks located adjacent to each lane. This will result in quicker and safer service as truck drivers will not be required to disembark from their vehicles.
“The new facility will be beneficial to harbour carriers and ultimately to are stacked in the Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) stacking area, with the conversion of the terminal into a RTG operation being one of the key objectives of the expansion project.
The completion of the third and last RTG Reefer stack in mid-August has increased the terminals’ , Container Sector: Transnet Port Terminals; and Willie van Dyk, Project Director: Transnet Capital Projects, shake hands at the opening of the new truck entrance at the Cape Town Terminal.
The Cape Town Container Terminal’s peak season falls within the months of November and April. During this season, the terminal handles larger volumes of refrigerated containers (Reefers).
Approximately 70% percentage of the Reefers are stacked in the Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) stacking area, with the conversion of the terminal into a RTG operation being one of the key objectives of the expansion project.
The completion of the third and last RTG Reefer stack in mid-August has increased the terminals’ RTG Reefer capacity with an additional 936 RTG Reefer points, bringing the capacity of the RTG Reefer stack to 2 712. This has resulted in the terminal’s total Reefer capacity tripling to 3 884 Reefers since the commencement of the expansion project.
“The increased Reefer capacity couldn’t have come at a better time. It will enable us to efficiently service the greater volumes expected during the peak season,’ says Dube. To date, the expansion project has provided the terminal with 720m of refurbished quay wall to accommodate two large 305m vessels along the quay. The remaining 412m of the quay wall is currently under refurbishment and is due for completion by 2013.
The phasing-in of RTGs has now been completed and the full complement of 28 RTGs is in operation. The delivery of two additional ship-to-shore (STS) cranes is expected in December 2011. These cranes will be commissioned in April 2012 resulting in the terminal being equipped with a total of eight cranes.
Yo there Durban Harbour! Are you reading this and taking notes?