Cape Town Container Terminal Reduces Vessel Backlog To One

The Cape Town Container Terminal (CTCT) completed three vessels in a single shift over the weekend, reducing vessels at anchor from four to one – despite three hours of lost time due to fog. The recent marked improvement in productivity demonstrates responsive plans that have been put in place on the road to recovery.

The terminal also continues to facilitate plans and work with its stakeholders, including shipping lines and fruit exporters, to ensure that the full consignment of planned containers arrive at the terminal while the vessel is still loading. Acting Managing Executive at the Western Cape, Oscar Borchards said, “It’s important that we maximise refrigerated container intake.”

Vessel Santa Rita is planned to sail with a planned total of 1 750 refrigerated containers in the next two days. However, the confirmed number of refrigerated containers that have reached the terminal is 1 730. Customers are battling a global shortage of empty refrigerated containers that has long been a matter in peak seasons, placing pressure on both the terminal’s and supply chain’s capacity.

Borchards added that recovery initiatives are progressing well, including scheduled overtime workings and increased management visibility on the quayside. He said that volumes had increased weekly, giving assurance that continuous improvements were starting to yield results.