Efforts to begin the relocation of the liquid bulk facility from the Port of Port Elizabeth to the Port of Ngqura are expected to start in the next two weeks.
Civil, mechanical and electrical contractors have been appointed to initiate the bulk earthworks to prepare the allocated 20 hectares.
A tree-planting ceremony, held at the new site on Thursday, signified the efforts of Transnet and Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo to develop the infrastructure and enable the Ngqura liquid bulk terminal to start operations at the end of 2020.
Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo CEO Nico Smit said the new facility would provide storage and marine infrastructure to support the overall petroleum demand projections for SA.
“Within the next two years, in this space, you’ll be able to see some tanks, an office building, a loading gantry and also, but not so visible, pipelines connecting the facility to the jetty in the port,” Smit said.
Transnet Ports Authority appointed Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo to plan, fund, construct, maintain and operate the new liquid bulk handling and storage facility.
About 3km from the jetty, the new tank farm will also have capacity for commodities such as petroleum, diesel, jet fuel, illuminated paraffin and liquid petroleum gas.
The products will be transported to the port via ship and piped to the tank farm.
The new, modern facility aims to service the oil majors, new entrants into the oil industry as well as international traders – all supporting the local shipping industry.
Ngqura port manager Tandi Lebakeng said the developments also signalled the progress in the authority’s plans to clean up terminal facilities and free up land in the Port of Port Elizabeth for future commercial and tourism development.
“Once operational, the terminal will facilitate substantially increased throughputs over present volumes handled at the Port of PE due to Ngqura’s deeper draught which allows it to handle much larger vessels.”
Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo chair Mkhuseli Faku said the terminal would be built to the highest international safety standards and provide exceptional service.
“Today as we break ground at Ngqura, we are staking our claim to a brighter future for Nelson Mandela Bay and SA,” Lebakeng said. “I hope the new facility will be a great source of pride and that our investment into this project will be used to drive socioeconomic change.”
About 500 jobs will be created during construction and 50 permanent staff will be employed when operations begin.
The port authority has already completed Phase 1 of the infrastructure, including the detailed design of the new port entrance plaza and main access road, and the service pipeline that will link the new tank farm and the port.
Phase 2 commenced in November and includes the landside development, forming the link between the tank farm and the berth.
The port authority will provide infrastructure for the new tank farm and will also construct a new access road from the tank farm to the berth.