Record salt shipment loaded at Walvis Bay

• FLORIS STEENKAMP

WALVIS Bay Salt on Saturday commenced with the loading of 58 400 tonnes of bulk salt onto the bulk carrier ship the African Bari Bird.

The previous record, also set by Walvis Bay Salt, was a shipment of 55 000 tonnes of salt to Belgium in 2019.

Managing director of Walvis Bay Salt Andre Snyman has confirmed the new record, and says the salt would be loaded aboard African Bari Bird at a rate of 10 000 tonnes per day, using the company’s conveyor belt and automated loader system which has been installed at the port.

Walvis Bay Salt produces approximately 1 million tonnes of salt per year from its 5 000 ha network of seawater evaporation ponds.

This record-breaking shipment of salt is destined for South Africa’s chemicals industries in Gauteng, Snyman says.

The shipment will be discharged in the Richards Bay Port and hauled by road to Gauteng.

Salt produced and exported by Walvis Bay Salt is critical for South Africa’s chemicals industries.

Chlorine, which is critical in the process of water treatment, for example, is a chemical produced from salt.

Salt is also exported to various other countries in Africa and other continents.

Walvis Bay Salt also produces table salt that is exported to several African countries, including Namibia’s neighbouring countries.

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