Tank farm removal delayed again

IT will take at least four more years before the manganese terminal at the Port of Ngqura is completed, ending the manganese project's lengthy relocation from the Port of Port Elizabeth.

This could further delay the harbours' role as a catalyst for economic development in the metro, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber chief executive Kevin Hustler said.

He was speaking at a Business-to- Business dialogue session hosted by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) at Port Elizabeth's Boardwalk Convention Centre yesterday.

Hustler said he was disappointed in the slippage of committed timelines by Transnet, which in 2010 vowed in parliament to have the tank farm removed by June this year.

Calling the four-year delay till 2019 disappointing, he said the city deserved firm commitments to timeframes for its port developments.

"This type of slippage, with no accountability to the community, over which Transnet has stewardship, cannot be accepted," Hustler said.

Though he welcomed the Baakens River Valley precinct development and said it would be a "jewel in the crown of the city", Hustler shared his concerns with the business community and Transnet executives who attended yesterday's session about development plans for the Port Elizabeth harbour.

He expressed concern that Transnet wanted to convert the manganese facility and tank farm land into a vehicle terminal while it had "incredible potential for the city" to be a waterfront development with a cruise line terminal.

Port Elizabeth port manager Rajesh Dana said the Port Elizabeth harbour was being positioned to become the top automotive hub in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as a people-centric leisure and recreational marina precinct.

This would include a four-berth passenger line terminal "if market demands it".

Dana said the Port of Port Elizabeth would, however, be geared to become a fully fledged mega-automotive hub, as Nelson Mandela Bay became more industrialised.

He said the hub would have huge potential for transshipment as well as value-added services to international cargo.

While the timeframe for the decommissioning and rehabilitation of the tank farm and manganese land is documented to take from 2018 to 2021, Ngqura port manager Mpumi Dweba said the manganese terminal at Ngqura would be operational in the first quarter of 2019.

She said a tender had been advertised for a suitable service provider.

Dweba explained that moving the tank farm from Port Elizabeth to Ngqura was hampered by "delays beyond our control".

While bulk liquid storage provider Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo (Pty) Ltd had been appointed service provider at Ngqura, the company was awaiting approval from the National Energy Regulator of SA.

TNPA chief executive Tau Morwe said it was important to dovetail the dreams that the Bay community and the TNPA had.

"As much as we have done a number of things, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to achieve Kevin [Hustler]'s dream. The challenge is not only for TNPA, but it is also in your hands to communicate your expectations effectively.

"This is your port," Morwe said.

Once the bulk terminal at Ngqura is operational, it will have the capacity to export 16 million tons of manganese a year, arriving by rail from Hotazel, in the Northern Cape.

The project's total estimated cost is R26663-billion. - Cindy Preller