New ships too big for Cape Town harbour

Cape Town's ship repair industry might have the use of a new ship lift within three years - if the National Ports Authority can decide which formula to use to make the land available for it.

The ports authority expects to award the tender in the first half of this financial year and, when that has been done, it should take no longer than three years to have the ship lift working, says Port of Cape Town manager Sanjay Govan.

Govan spoke after Public Enterprises Minister Alec Irwin toured the port and was briefed on the planning of several capital projects.

Irwin said Transnet had invested R37 billion in rail, port and pipeline projects last year and that a further R21bn would become available as soon as its financial situation had strengthened.

One capital project soon to be undertaken in Cape Town was the widening of the container terminal to cope with increased container traffic.


As an interim measure, the port has resorted to stacking containers four high instead of the more accepted three high norm, and Govan said this was not an ideal situation.

At the same time, new container vessels are becoming bigger and the port will have to be dredged from its current depth of 14 metres to 15.5m between 2006 and 2009.

Ships are coming to Cape Town only partially laden to allow them to dock.

Irwin said it was a specific aim of Transnet to strengthen the repair facilities in Cape Town and Durban.

National Ports Authority chief executive Kgomotso Phihlela said the state company was planning to reduce port dues while increasing efficiencies.