Coal Trucks Handled Per Day Reduce on Truck Booking System Take Up
The Port of Richards Bay is making steady progress in reducing the number of trucks handled daily at the Port, as implementation of the truck booking system gains momentum. The Port was designed to receive cargo by rail only, making this a difficult period for port operations. As a result of the reduction in rail capacity into Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) and the fires that burnt conveyor belts that were servicing ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA), Foskor and Grindrod, trucks into the port and the surrounds of the King Cetshwayo Municipality increased significantly, reaching 1 500 trucks a day at the peak. The increased global price of coal has exacerbated the situation, with coal exports increasing from 4.7 million in 2021/22 to 11.7 million tons in 2022/23 at the multi-purpose terminal (MPT).
Over the last few months, Transnet Port Terminals has reduced the number of trucks entering the port, from an average of 1 500 trucks a day to the manageable 700 trucks per day, as the truck booking system is becoming effective, and stringent controls discourage unannounced truck calls. This means that trucks without a slot park outside the port and wait for their turn. Unfortunately, some park on the N2.
In addition, privately-owned back-of-port operations handling coal have been setting up closer to the port for ease of access, resulting in truck traffic on the N2 between Richards Bay and Nseleni.
According to Managing Executive: Richards Bay Terminals Thula Dlamini, it’s been easier for members of the public to believe that all the trucks on the N2 are destined for the terminals for offloading.
“Over 50% of the trucks on the N2 are destined for back-of port (BOP) facilities to replenish BOP stockpiles. This is called pre-assembly and is meant to bring cargo closer to the port. The cargo pre-assembled at the BOP facilities is later collected by trucks and shuttled into the Dry Bulk Terminal and Multipurpose Terminal to replenish stockpiles within the terminal for vessel operations. The shuttles to and from the terminal negatively impact fluidity on the roads in and around the port terminal,” Dlamini said.
In October 2021, a fire occurred at the port, damaging eleven conveyor belts. This unfortunate incident affected the routes that transport export coal from Navitrade (RBTG), Sulphur from vessels to Foskor, and coking coal from vessels to storage as well as to the loading of rail wagons (AMSA). This incident compelled these harbour bound industries (HBI) to transport their commodities to and from the terminal via road trucks. Progress has unfortunately not been fast enough on returning the belt back to service, as a result of the well-documented procurement challenges Transnet faces amongst other issues.
To date, the clearing and removal of damaged structures has been completed. A contract has been awarded for the repairs of the RBTG route, with a planned completion by end of December 2023. The tender for the repairs of the AMSA route is out on the market and is closing on 11 August 2023. It is planned to be completed in April 2024. The tender for the Foskor route repairs will be out on the market in September 2023. This will significantly reduce the number of trucks accessing the port, and by extension reduce the damage to port road infrastructure.
In July, the terminal had halted all operations following a notice to comply with the clearing of waste tyres and a stockpile of mineral bulk waste within the terminals’ premises accumulated over 10 years. The notice was lifted by authorities within 24 hours on the commitment by TPT to resolve the immediate high-risk issues with a schedule to address the backlog over time. Removal of waste cargo at the terminals is underway following the appointment of a waste management contractor three weeks ago.