A project to expand the Richards Bay coal and magnetite terminal in South Africa began in 2015. In 2018, machinery upgrade works at the terminal in South Africa were successfully completed.
The US$98 million project included the upgrade of new stacker reclaimers alongside ship loaders. In total, the project installed two new rail-mounted stacker reclaimers. Quite impressively, each has the capacity to handle 6,000 tph in comparison to the initial 4,500 tph for the predecessor machines. Moreover, the reclaimer coal-carrying arm got extended from 40 meters to 60 meters. As a result, less bulldozing is required in the yard.
Previously, the facility’s ship loader had a capacity of 8,000 tph. However, now the Richards Bay Terminal Upgrade Project’s new ship loader has a capacity of 10,000 tph. Grindrod, the project’s contractor said the project’s main goal was to replace aging equipment. However, the project also aimed to increase its efficiency.
Reported On 19 Oct 2015
Richards Bay terminal to be upgraded
The Richards Bay coal and magnetite terminal’s upgrade will be from 3.2 million tons a year to 4.5 million tons a year by Grindrod a Freight services and shipping group.
CEO of Grindroad Alan Olivier said on Wednesday that the project will cost US $10.93m and will be complete by the end of the year 2015. Grindrod will have 49.9 percent shares for the same.
Olivier further noted that there will be a second extension of the Richards Bay coal and magnetite terminal which will improve its capacity by 8 million with the capacity to potentially grow to 20 million tons a year. In regard to the expansion of the terminal, Transnet a rail freight parastatal was helping with the same.
Another project that Grindrod has shares in is the Ngqura liquid bulk terminal storage project which will cost US $0.25m with 30.5 percent shares.
The 230 000m3 storage facility will expand to 720 000m3 for the storage of petroleum products. Construction on this project will begin by this year with completion expected to be in 2018.
Delays on the Ngqura liquid bulk terminal storage project were due to the traffic model of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) which was not working for projects which required new capital outlay.
