Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has procured 43 straddle carriers for Durban Container Terminals to improve efficiency and turn around times for trucks.
Acting TPT Chief Operating Officer Velile Dube said, “Equipment is at the centre of loading and unloading goods off a vessel in an operation like ours which is around the clock and covers four major sectors namely containers, cars, bulk and breakbulk cargo. Beyond responding to industry calls – the morale of our employees is also impacted by resources available to them to deliver. Considering the remarkable work employees deliver despite aging equipment, we can be confident of new performance records in the near future”.
Currently in progress is the procurement of 43 straddle carriers at the Durban Container Terminals (DCT) set to arrive as the 2020/2021 financial year takes off, a key investment considering the size of the operation and the varying industries it services including pulp and paper industry, retail and automotive.
With the terminal having had to boost its technical resources, review shift patterns and increase the number of gangs servicing calling vessels – the terminal’s turnaround plan has gained traction.
Equally, four straddle carriers will sustain the Cape Town Container Terminal operations this year, which largely services the agricultural industry.
The acquisitions are part of a R2 billion investment meant to replace aging equipment this current calendar year to improve operations.
The investment also includes two mobile harbour cranes for the Port Elizabeth Container Terminal, which will largely benefit the automotive and the agricultural bulk sectors.
The East London Multi-Purpose Terminal is set to receive four straddle carriers to better service the automotive sectors while a new tippler for the Saldanha Bulk Terminal will support growing bulk volumes attributed to the mining activities in the country. The terminal’s mobile ship loaders are currently undergoing commissioning with the intention to contribute to operations by April.
The Richards Bay Bulk Terminal has been receiving excavators since 2018 with another five arriving before the end of the 2020/2021 financial year. The terminal will also receive a ship loader and a new conveyor belt that will unlock tippler capacity in the same year.
