TNPA flags delays and equipment failures at Durban port

The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is investigating the source of truck congestion outside the Port of Durban on Bayhead Road. The problem of trucks queuing to enter the port was mentioned when the TNPA provided an operational update to the Portfolio Committee on Transport. Key challenges cited by the TNPA include aging infrastructure, outdated equipment, persistent congestion, poor efficiency, larger vessels exceeding port limits, and weak hinterland and rail connectivity.

Resource constraints, particularly regarding critical spares and supply chain delays, as well as information and communications technology (ICT) and technology capability gaps, were also highlighted. The TNPA aims to address these issues through its Reinvent for Growth (R4G) strategy, which seeks to fix and optimize the TNPA business and restore operational excellence and port efficiency.

Plans include improving vessel turnaround performance, deepening berths in the Durban Container Terminal to accommodate deep draft vessels, and increasing the capacity of the Cape Town Container Terminal. TNPA also plans to replace dry dock jib cranes in Durban, East London, and Cape Town, and operationalize the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal in Richards Bay.

The TNPA intends to relocate manganese exports from Port Elizabeth to Ngqura and is developing the Boegoebaai Port Development in the Northern Cape as a strategic greenfield initiative. Despite these efforts, ship turnaround times at Durban's Container Terminals remain a concern, with Piers 1 and 2 experiencing average wait times of 61 and 99 hours respectively, due to weather-related stoppages, equipment breakdowns, and limited crane availability.