Infrastructure
Salt is one of Namibia’s prime export products.
A
fter construction was briefly halted earlier this year
following concerns about the concrete used, all activities
at the Walvis Bay Port expansion project are back on
track. The NAD4.2-billion project will see a brand new terminal
on reclaimed land and is a boon for the Southern African
Development Community (SADC). The expansions will benefit
mining companies in Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
China Harbour Engineering Company started the expansion works
on 19 May 2014, with the African Development Bank providing the
funding. The new terminal will be connected to the existing port’s
road-, rail-, and utilities networks as well as communication systems.
The terminal will have two large berths for accommodating two
container vessels at once. Currently, Walvis Bay Port receives about
4 000 vessel calls each year and handles about five million tons of
cargo. The container terminal can accommodate ground slots for
3 875 containers, with provision for 424 reefer container plug points.
The container terminal can host about 250 000 containers per annum.
Key benefits of using the Port of Walvis Bay
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Expansion project description
The project consists of developing a large plot of currently
undeveloped land. The water area in front of this land will be
developed for accommodating port operations, whereas the land
will be developed to house various cargo handling terminals. It is
also envisaged that the ‘dig-out’ basin will be developed, which will
reclaim water area from within the land. This is primarily so that
the available land can be accessed directly by the port.
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Turnaround time is competitive (handling time for
container vessels: 12–15 hours);
Depending on the tonnages and shipment, the
turnaround time for bulk vessels averages between 24
and 48 hours, while for break-bulk vessels it averages
between 18 and 20 hours;
The port is congestion free with minimum delays. It
currently handles 5.5 million tons and operates at 60%
of its capacity. Its total capacity equips it to handle eight
to nine million tons of cargo;
Deep-water anchorage is available inside the harbour
and is protected by the natural bay and Namport;
The port carries a low risk in respect of insurance, with
no pilferage;
The routes managed by Walvis Bay Corridor Group
make access to the hinterland easy and fast;
The Gauteng market in South Africa can be reached
via the Trans-Kalahari Corridor instead of going via
Durban or Cape Town, saving 7–11 days in transit time;
The Port of Walvis Bay is served with trade routes:
South America, Far East–Europe, North America, and
the Middle East; and
Transit time from Antwerp to Walvis Bay is 17 days.
New container terminal features
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40 hectares of new land to be used for construction of a
modern container terminal;
600m of quay length to existing 1 500m;
650 000 TEU per annum capacity to existing 350 000;
Will cost about NAD4.2-billion; and
Creates much-needed additional capacity for all port
business to expand (containers, bulk, rig repair, and so on).
www.africanmining.co.za
The rail and road network linked to the port will increase Walvis Bay’s
current capacity. Mining companies in a number of neighbouring
countries have identified Walvis Bay as the preferred port of export.
JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019 AFRICAN MINING
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