Namport’s N$1b expansion project underway

IN order to remain competitive within southern Africa’s seaborne trade and transport sector, Namibia’s port authority, Namport, has embarked on a N$1 billion five-year Master (expansion) Plan.

An information road show was launched in Walvis Bay on Monday, where stakeholders and interested parties attended a session specifically highlighting the Port Master Plan: it’s present status, plans and challenges ahead before its projected completion in 2012. The expansion project was already launched last year with the increased transshipment container terminal, and the addition of mobile storage sheds for bulk and break-bulk volumes.The next phase will further expand the terminal to increase its capacity to above 500 000 containers per year – last year the company handled just more than 140 000 containers.The increased volumes also demand more equipment with better handling capacities to reduce the cost and time of services within the region; especially when Walvis Bay is fast becoming the port of choice for landlocked neighbours to get goods to and from international trade partners.New ship-to-shore cranes capable of unloading containers from large container vessels, and overhead cranes (or rubber tyre gantries) with the ability to stack containers five high, hence speeding up unloading and sorting of containers, will soon become part of the harbour’s skyline.According to Namport’s Manager for Marketing & Strategic Business Development, Jerome Mouton, “containerisation” has become the key to the diversification of the company’s customer base, by providing the right facilities for a wide range of customers over a large area wanting to do business with the rest of the world – their only way, being through Walvis Bay.Larger ships would have to be accommodated too, hence the harbour will be deepened to 15m, from its current depth of 12,8m.Ship and oil rig repair facilities will be built, with a second floating dock being added to the port, increasing the capacity to 8 000 tonnes.The synchrolift’s capacity will also be increased to 2 000 tonnes.A new dedicated quay for the fishing industry and cold storage facilities will also be developed, where cold storage capacity will be increased to 25 000 cubic metres.Namport says not only industrial type expansion is anticipated.Local and international tourism can also look forward to its share in the master plan with the waterfront development, which will include cruise liner terminals, a small craft basin, hotels, shopping malls, entertainment centres and sports facilities.Although the latter will not all be done at the sole expense of Namport, but rather with partnership investments with related stakeholders, provision has been made in the master plan for merged facilities.Namport’s Managing Director, Sebby Kankondi, said that Namport had to plan ahead in order to stay abreast competitively.”When one has N$1 billion, one doesn’t just want to sink it all in the water,” he said.The expansion project was already launched last year with the increased transshipment container terminal, and the addition of mobile storage sheds for bulk and break-bulk volumes.The next phase will further expand the terminal to increase its capacity to above 500 000 containers per year – last year the company handled just more than 140 000 containers.The increased volumes also demand more equipment with better handling capacities to reduce the cost and time of services within the region; especially when Walvis Bay is fast becoming the port of choice for landlocked neighbours to get goods to and from international trade partners.New ship-to-shore cranes capable of unloading containers from large container vessels, and overhead cranes (or rubber tyre gantries) with the ability to stack containers five high, hence speeding up unloading and sorting of containers, will soon become part of the harbour’s skyline.According to Namport’s Manager for Marketing & Strategic Business Development, Jerome Mouton, “containerisation” has become the key to the diversification of the company’s customer base, by providing the right facilities for a wide range of customers over a large area wanting to do business with the rest of the world – their only way, being through Walvis Bay.Larger ships would have to be accommodated too, hence the harbour will be deepened to 15m, from its current depth of 12,8m.Ship and oil rig repair facilities will be built, with a second floating dock being added to the port, increasing the capacity to 8 000 tonnes.The synchrolift’s capacity will also be increased to 2 000 tonnes.A new dedicated quay for the fishing industry and cold storage facilities will also be developed, where cold storage capacity will be increased to 25 000 cubic metres.Namport says not only industrial type expansion is anticipated.Local and international tourism can also look forward to its share in the master plan with the waterfront development, which will include cruise liner terminals, a small craft basin, hotels, shopping malls, entertainment centres and sports facilities.Although the latter will not all be done at the sole expense of Namport, but rather with partnership investments with related stakeholders, provision has been made in the master plan for merged facilities.Namport’s Managing Director, Sebby Kankondi, said that Namport had to plan ahead in order to stay abreast competitively.”When one has N$1 billion, one doesn’t just want to sink it all in the water,” he said.