AN upcoming R7-billion project to deepen the berths at the Durban Container Terminal (DCT) will enable Durban’s port to accommodate a newer generation of container vessels by 2023.
During a business breakfast, representatives of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) and Transnet Group Capital (TGC) provided a project update to stakeholders ahead of the anticipated site establishment by the end of October.
The contract for the multi-billion-rand main marine construction works package has been awarded to CMI Emtateni Joint Venture.
Transnet chief capital officer, Krishna Reddy said the R7-bn mega project would help sustain the existing container operations at the Port of Durban, specifically DCT Berths 203 to 205.
“In the Port of Durban which handles some 65% of the total containerised cargo of South Africa, we have a critical need to provide modern, safe, deeper and longer container berths to accommodate the ever-increasing size of container vessels we are now servicing. This will ensure our flagship Port of Durban and South Africa as a whole remain competitive within the industry while catering safely for the needs of the marine sector,” he said.
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The main marine construction works to be carried out by CMI include the reconstruction, deepening and lengthening of berths 203 to 205 to provide safe docking capacity. Currently, Super Post Panamax vessels 9,200 TEU and larger take up two berths on the North Quay, shrinking port capacity, while larger vessels can only enter the channel at high tide. This results in delays and vessel queues at outer anchorage.
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The marine infrastructure work will be executed in three successive phases – commencing with work on berth 205, followed by berth 204 and ending with berth 203. This staggered approach will ensure the terminal is able to accommodate two vessels at any time between berths 203 to 205, even while one berth is decommissioned.
A new quay wall will be constructed 50m seawards of the existing quay wall, along berths 203 to 205, to provide sufficient water depth to safely accommodate larger Post Panamax vessels. The existing quay wall will be deepened from -12.8m to -16.5m Chart Datum Port (CDP) and lengthened from 914m to about 1,210m to allow for the simultaneous berthing of three 350m long Post Panamax Vessels. These berths have been operating beyond their original water depth design specifications.
Dredging will be carried out to deepen the turning basin and approach channel serving the relevant berths to -16.5m CDP. Seven existing 80-ton ship-to-shore cranes at DCT pier two will be modified to suit the profile of the new quay wall structure and to serve those berths.
Once the project activities commence, the independent environmental compliance officer will audit compliance against the various environmental permits and will provide feedback to the relevant authorities should there be any non-compliance.
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TNPA has undergone a rigorous environmental impact assessment (EIA) process in which the interested and affected parties lodged any appeals and concerns, which were responded to in line with regulatory requirements. “We employed extensive specialist studies to mitigate any socio-economic, health and safety or environmental impacts, drawing on the expertise of experienced marine ecologists, avifauna specialists, and climate change experts. Based on our studies and public participation efforts, the Department of Environmental Affairs awarded us with environmental authorisation for marine works in September 2016 and for landside works in October 2016,” said TNPA chief executive, Shulami Qalinge.
A coastal water discharge permit was granted in March. Also approved in July was TNPA’s application for an offshore sand winning license for the mining of sand to be used in the caisson infill. TNPA anticipates that approval will be granted in September 2018 regarding the dumping at sea permit for the disposal of spoil from dredging activities during construction, as well as the commitment to offset by Transnet and the Central Sandbank Monitoring Plan (CSMP).
CMI expects to create 380 jobs through this project, of which around 45% will be semi-skilled or skilled, while 55% will be unskilled jobs.
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