Transnet National Ports Authority News

South Africa has granted Turkey's Karpowership access to the three ports of Ngqura, Durban and Saldanha Bay for a period of 20 years, the transport ministry said on Thursday, as it tries to find solutions to the country's power crisis.Karpowership aims to generate power on its floating gas ships and distribute it through South Africa's electricity grid. The plan received a boost from President Cyril Ramaphosa last week after he told lawmakers the ships would help ease the prolonged…

Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) on Thursday launched the first of three Multi Mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPV) procured by ARMSCOR for the South African Navy (SAN).The vessels will augment South Africa’s maritime security by enhancing the country’s capability to respond effectively, rapidly and cost-effectively to threats such as illegal trafficking and fishing.The more than 600-ton vessel was transported from the DSCT shipyard on the evening of March 23 to the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) synchrolift at the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront Basin.

Veecraft Marine, subsidiary of Paramount Maritime, said it has been awarded a tender from Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to design and build two twin-screw, diesel powered workboats.The 100% South African-developed, 19.5-meter (LOA) vessels, manufactured with 60% local content, will feature a 7.25-meter beam, fixed-pitched propellers and twin rudders, offering 15-ton bollard pull (short tons-force).

Test results from the individuals suspected to be the first cases of COVID-19 in any South African seaport have all come back negative, Transnet National Ports Authority has confirmed.Earlier this week two vessels, the general cargo vessel MV Corona and the cruise ship AIDAmira, were held off port limits outside the Port of Cape Town. The cruise liner was later allowed to dock but its roughly 1,700 passengers and crew remained onboard pending test results from one suspected COVID-19 case and seven others who had possible contact with him.Captain Dennis Mqadi…

Transnet National Ports Authority has redeployed a new tug to the Port of Cape Town, as Tug UMBILO went into service recently after being redeployed from the Port of Durban.Built in 2017, UMBILO was the sixth of nine new vessels to roll off the production line as part of $95 million tug construction contract being executed by Durban ship builder Southern African Shipyards. The Port of Cape Town also took delivery of tug USIBA last year, originally intended for the Port of Richards…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) will secure two new workboats by 2022 to boost marine operations at the Port of Cape Town and ensure it is recognized internationally for excellence.The more powerful workboats are expected to improve the port’s ability to maintain marine operations during challenging weather conditions. The engines will be approximately 20% more powerful on the new workboats and the bollard pull will be 80% greater as a result of advanced propeller and rudder designs.The Port of Cape Town presently has two workboats…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken delivery of a new survey craft as the latest acquisition in its Dredging Services division’s ongoing fleet replacement program in excess of $28 million. The vessel, valued at approximately $220,000 was built by a local company in Durban.Carl Gabriel, Executive Manager for TNPA’s Dredging Services division, said the new vessel is replacing the South African port landlord’s existing Survey Craft, Swift, which is 32 years old and…

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) said on Wednesday a court interdiction secured by the national ports authority has stopped planned strike action at ports from Thursday."Transnet National Ports Authority has interdicted the strike and the Labour Court has reserved judgment until Sept. 5, meaning we cannot go on strike tomorrow," union spokeswoman Zanele Sabela said.The strike was called after a deadlock over salary discrepancies between white and black workers.Reporting by Wendell Roelf

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken the decision to introduce a helicopter service at its Port of Cape Town to transfer marine pilots onto and off visiting vessels. This would make the port one of three within the South African port landlord’s complementary port system that offer the service, the others being Durban and Richards Bay.TNPA expects to commission the helicopter in Cape Town in 2021, according to GM: Infrastructure and Port Planning, Hamilton Nxumalo.In…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA)’s Dredging Services division will soon embark on a maintenance dredging campaign at the Port of Cape Town to restore the design depths at certain berths inside Duncan Dock.The maintenance campaign, which is set to start in early April 2019, is scheduled for completion by the end of May 2019. The main objective of the dredging campaign is to ensure the Port of Cape Town provides safe navigational channels and berthing facilities for shipping.TNPA…

Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) Port of Ngqura has hosted the testing and launch of the first ever locally manufactured aluminium vessels by PE-based boat builder, Legacy Marine. As the company’s ship yard is based in Perseverance, the low bridges blocked the route to the Port of PE in the past, restricting the building of larger vessels. When the new Port of Ngqura stepped up as an alternative port, it contributed to the expansion of boat building in the Eastern Cape.“Now that the port is available for new vessel launches…

South Africa’s smallest commercial port, the Port of Mossel Bay is well equipped to provide value following global energy giant Total’s significant gas condensate discovery on the Brulpadda prospects, located on Block 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin, 175 kilometres off the southern coast of South Africa, announced Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).The authority has dispelled criticism that it may not be ready to answer the call for capacity necessitated by the recent discovery of vast amounts of gas condensate about 175 kilometres south of Mossel Bay.Mossel Bay Port Manager Shadrack Tshikalange said the port’s role in the drilling expedition involved providing land and quay space for the logistics base operations…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) appointed Preston Khomo, previously Richards Bay Port Manager, as Executive Manager: Ship Repair, to manage and administer the organization’s ship repair resources nationally.Thamsanqa (Thami) Sithole has been appointed as the new Port Manager for Richards Bay. Both appointments are effective July 1.Khomo joined TNPA in 2004 as Head of Infrastructure Development: Port Operations and Consulting at Portcon (the then international arm of Transnet)…

The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) operated Ports of Durban, Cape Town, and Elizabeth have been nominated for the Africa & Indian Ocean segment of the 25th annual World Travel Awards in the category of “Africa’s Leading Cruise Port 2018”.Founded in 1993, the World Travel Awards seek to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. Global travel and tourism industry leaders will be recognized at the various World Travel Awards gala ceremonies, with Durban hosting the Africa and Indian Ocean segment for the third time.

Construction of Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) new bed leveler (plough tug) is underway and was marked by an official keel laying ceremony in Port Elizabeth on January 19. The new vessel is being designed, manufactured, assembled, commissioned and delivered to TNPA’s Dredging Services division by shipbuilder FTC Engineering (Pty) Ltd, trading as Tide Marine Shipyard. The Black-, woman-owned family company has a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBBEE) Level…

Marine functions at South Africa’s largest port have partially resumed after severe weather halted operations and caused heavy damages at the port earlier this week. The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) said the storm blew containers into the bay, broke mooring lines in the channel and caused three vessels to run aground in the Port of Durban on Monday. Sounding surveys indicate that there is some obstruction on the seabed that could pose a risk to navigation. As of 6:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, TNPA declared 80 percent of the navigable area of the port safe for marine operations, and operations have commenced only in channels that are confirmed to be clear from obstruction.

One of three vessels that has grounded in the Port of Durban today due to inclement weather has been successfully refloated and remoored alongside. Port teams remain on scene attending to the remaining vessels. TNPA has also managed to contain containers that had blown into the bay. At this stage vessel movements in the Port of Durban remain suspended until futher notice. No severe disruptions have been reported thus far at the Port of Richards Bay. TNPA earlier invoked a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) at its head office and the Port of Durban to ensure that it manages the situation closely.

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) celebrated a twin milestone for its KwaZulu-Natal ports as part of its R1.4 billion ($106.3 million), nine-tug construction contract. On Thursday, 22 August the new USIBA tug was christened and named ahead of its delivery to the Port of Richards Bay, while the Port of Durban took delivery of its Umbilo tug which had been launched and named in May. The vessels are the sixth and seventh respectively to roll off the production line on time and within budget. All nine tugs are being built by Southern African Shipyards in Durban.

Transnet National Ports Authority will undertake its mega project to deepen and lengthen berths at Durban Container Terminal (DCT): Pier 2 has reached a key milestone and the multi-billion rand Main Marine Construction Works package will go out to tender in December 2016. This follows the two environmental approvals secured from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) last year for marine and landside works. The tender process for the landside works will follow at a later stage. The DCT: Pier 2 Berths 203 to 205 reconstruction, deepening and lengthening project forms an integral part of Transnet’s Market Demand Strategy which is in its 5th year and aims to enable the effective, efficient and economic functioning of an integrated port system to promote economic growth.

Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) R1.4 billion tug building contract in Durban continues to create jobs and develop local marine capabilities, with the fifth of the authority’s nine new tugs launched this morning in Durban. The project is now 81% complete and still on track to deliver the ninth and final tug early in 2018, on time and within budget. Five tugs are under construction at any given time at the premises of contractor, Southern African Shipyards. Four are already delivered and at work in Port Elizabeth and Saldanha.

The joint effort undertaken by a Disaster Management team at the Port of Ngqura has helped to avert a potential maritime disaster and ultimately saved the container vessel APL Austria, which caught fire last weekend. Transnet National Ports Authority, Transnet Port Terminals, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Fire Department, South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), South African Police Services (SAPS), National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and a stevedoring company, worked together to battle the blaze, and the fire was eventually extinguished on Wednesday, February 15.

Collaboration between the Ports of East London and Ngqura, together with the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), helped avert another potential maritime disaster in the Eastern Cape during the past week. Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) towed the BBC Shanghai, a 101 meter long general cargo vessel with 11 crew members on board, safely into the Port of East London on Friday, March 17, after she suffered engine failure en route from Durban to Lagos. One of TNPA’s new tugs – Shasa – which has a bollard pull of 70 metric tons…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA)’s Dredging Services division has embarked on a $ 1.1 million maintenance dredging campaign at the Port of Cape Town to restore the design depths inside Duncan dock. The maintenance campaign, which began on March 8, 2017, is scheduled for completion by the end April 2017. The main objective of the dredging campaign is to ensure the Port of Cape Town provides safe navigational channels and berthing facilities for shipping by restoring the original design depths.