Namport’s new container terminal soon operational

NAMPORT’s new container terminal will be officially inaugurated on 2 August, and normal operations are expected to start on it on 24 August.

The new terminal, constructed at a cost of N$4 billion, is expected to increase container handling capacity from the current 355 000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to up to 1 005 000 TEUs.

An external memo from Nam­port’s acting CEO Kavin Harry to staff earlier this month lays out the plans for the transfer.

Firstly, there will be a shutdown on 17 August of container operations in the port to start relocations to the new terminal.

The equipment to be relocated include rubber-tired gantries and mobile harbour cranes, while reach stackers, haulers and forklifts will move the containers.

“The relocation will in itself be a huge logistical undertaking, and due to the complexities of this exercise, it is required to shut down the container operations,” Harry said. “It will be our aim to commence operations earlier than [24 August] if the actual relocation is completed earlier.”

The duration of the exercise will depend on the amount of containers to be relocated, but it’s anticipated that it could take from three to seven days.

Namport manager for business development Elias Mwenyo told The Namibian that there are about 4 000 containers at the old site, but not all of them will be moved. About 30% of these are import containers which need to be collected by customers.

“We are appealing to these customers to fetch their cargo, and so minimise the load of relocation,” he urged.

No exports will be received during the relocation period to avoid congestions and for smooth relocation, and Namport wishes to shorten the transfer period to ensure client convenience.

The relocation has been planned since 2017, and aims to cause the least disruption to all port operations. Non-containerised cargo operations will not be affected, the memo added. The old terminal will be used as a multipurpose terminal.
Source: Namibian