MARITIME REVIEW AFRICA
NEWS ROUND-UP JANUARY 2019
PORTS & HARBOURS
ANALYSIS & REPORTS
Agreement to upgrade multi-purpose capacity in Port Elizabeth
African countries lag behind in technology uptake in the maritime sectors
SOUTH AFRICA: Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has concluded an agreement with Bidfreight Port Operations (Pty) Ltd (BPO) for the design, development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer of a Multi-Purpose Terminal at Sheds 10 and 11 in the Port of Port Elizabeth, following an open tender process.
AFRICA is lagging behind in terms of technological advancement, investment, regulation, governance and infrastructure in the maritime sector according to a report by the International Maritime Organisation and the World Maritime University launched this month.
“We are extremely excited that the agreement with BPO has been concluded and that we can welcome a world-class independent operator to the Port of Port Elizabeth,” said Nozipho Mdawe, Chief Operating Officer of TNPA. She added that the development would optimise the use of Sheds 10 and 11, and give the port an edge in the competition for import and export cargo for Southern Africa. Bidfreight Port Operations (Pty) Ltd was formed in 2004 and provides in-port logistics in South Africa with operations in all of the country’s commercial ports. BPO is a fully empowered Black Empowerment entity with a level 2 rating. Although the official ceremony took place this month, the agreement was concluded towards the end of
The report does, however, highlight South Africa as a having good potential for the adoption of new technologies as it ranks 7.5 for infrastucture related to all economic domains and 4.16 for the maritime profile. For the human capital indicator in the maritime field, South Africa ranks 3.86 and for the general profile 3.46. ABOVE: Nozipho Mdawe (TNPA’s Chief Operating Officer) hands over the official agreement to Jannie Roux (BPO Managing Director).
last year. The refurbishment of Sheds 10 and 11 commenced in November 2018 and the facility is expected to be fully operational by September 2019. With the overall multi-purpose cargo demand projections for South Africa,
and the much required undercover storage infrastructure close to the quayside to support this, the facility will play a vital role in growing the volume of multi-purpose cargo passing through the Port of Port Elizabeth, boosting the economy of the region.
According to the report, “The African and Latin American countries, including middle-level income countries such as Brazil and Ghana, would have the most catching up to do in terms of introducing technological innovation, investment, regulation and infrastructure, including in the maritime sector.” DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE
MARITIME SECURITY
PORTS & HARBOURS
Joint naval exercise gets underway
New equipment arrives for port expansion
MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique, the United States of America and a number of other partner countries began a 11-day naval exercise aimed at providing training in combating illicit trafficking, piracy and the interception of vessels engaged in illegal fishing during January. Dubbed “Cutlass Express 2019”, the operation is taking place within the framework of the existing multilateral partnership between the Republic of Mozambique, the United States of America and other partner countries. The 11-day naval exercise kicked off yesterday in the city of Pemba, Province of Cabo Delgado and will end on February 7 2019. The “Cutlass Express 2019” exercise also includes the holding of a Symposium of Senior Leaders in the city of Maputo from 4 to 7 February 2019, co-organised with the African Centre for Strategic Studies. The exercise was designed to strengthen multilateral cooperation
between naval forces operating in the Indian Ocean and will focus on developing skills related to the identification, approach and pursuit of suspect vessels at sea. Illicit trafficking in drugs, flora and fauna and human beings is a continuing challenge for Mozambique, the United States and partner countries around the world. Together with eleven other East African and Indian Ocean nations, Mozambique signed the Jeddah Amendment to the 2017 Djibouti Code of Conduct, which offers it the possibility to build national and regional capacities to respond to the wider problems of maritime security, the sustainable development of the maritime sector. The “Cutlass Express” exercise moves each year, with 2019 representing the ninth year of a naval exercise to strengthen cooperation and interoperability between the military forces of the partner nations.
GHANA: The first Ship-to-Shore (STS) and Electronic Rubber Tyre Gantry cranes arrived at the end of December at the Port of Tema to mark the beginning of the transformation of the site into a container terminal that should be operational by mid-2019. The STS cranes are 89 m high. They allow containers to be handled on board with a reach of 66 m and a capacity of 65 tons. The eRTG cranes are designed to stack up to five containers in height and sven in width. Designed by ZPMC, they are equipped with the latest technologies and will meet the requirements of shipowners in terms of quality of service, speed and operational safety. Mohamed Samara, CEO of MPS was also at the event and congratulated the teams who are contributing to the development of MPS and the economic growth of the country. In the long term, the project will strengthen the position of the Port of Tema as a major gateway to Ghana and the region.
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