Port of Ngqura
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The Port of Ngqura--also known as Port of Coega, Cougha, Coecha, Koecha, or Koega[1]--is a South African port sited in Algoa Bay, some twenty kilometres North of Port Elizabeth. The port became operational in 2009 with the intention of providing complementary services to the central ports of Port Elizabeth and East London.[2]
The Port of Ngqura forms part of the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), but falls under the jurisdiction of the Transnet National Ports Authority.[3]
In June 2014, plans were announced to build a new multi-purpose terminal at Ngqura, which would handle exports of coal and manganese upon its completion in 2019.[4] As of 2021, plans for manganese handling are the only ones that appear to be have moved forward.
Location
The Port of Ngqura is sited in Algoa Bay, a bay in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, some twenty kilometres North of Port Elizabeth.
Background
According to a 2014 report by Transnet, the government agency in charge of all South African ports, the port of Ngqura handled just over 6 million tons of cargo per year (over 400 vessel calls), with the 30 year forecast predicting up to 110 million tons of cargo per year. The intended role of the Port of Ngqura had been through a number of developments since its inception. Its relationship to the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), as deepwater port to service IDZ tenants, had remained constant, as has its role of providing cargo handling capacities beyond the limitations of the existing ports of Port Elizabeth and East London.
Originally planned as a bulk port, it was adapted for container handling. Ngqura’s current primary role was to target transhipment cargoes, both for East and West African ports, as well as for inter-continental transhipments. In addition, Ngqura would handle container cargoes for the local hinterland, and be positioned to handle overflow Gauteng cargoes should capacity in Durban be exceeded.
In addition to containers, two other categories of potential cargo handling operations would add to the role of the Port of Ngqura. The first was the relocated manganese ore operations from Port Elizabeth, which would catalyse Ngqura’s role as a bulk port. The second was the crude oil import and refined fuel export facilities. The IDZ generated projects, none of which were finalized in 2014, collectively indicate a significant role for Ngqura as a port servicing the CDC’s tenants. Most relevant was potential development of the Mthombo Refinery. [2]
Proposed manganese and coal terminal
In June 2014, at the Transnet Group's annual results presentation in Johannesburg, Transnet chief executive Brian Molefe announced that the export coal terminal originally planned for the Port of East London would be relocated to the Port of Ngqura by the year 2019. Transnet planned to redeploy mobile cranes from East London to Ngqura and construct a multi-purpose terminal in Ngqura that would handle exports of manganese as well as coal. The move from East London to Ngqura was prompted by financial problems at Elitheni Coal, the company originally slated to develop East London as a coal port, as well as environmental concerns raised by Mercedes Benz South Africa, which feared that dust from the loading and unloading of coal would negatively impact their East London-based automobile manufacturing facility.[4][5]
Manganese focus
In March 2015, the port completed a R2 billion upgrade. Transnet built two new quays expected to expand the port’s capacity to 2.2m TEUs, as part of the company’s attempts to make it a transshipment port for South Africa’s landlocked neighbours. The state-run firm also planned to shift Port Elizabeth’s manganese export terminal to Ngqura by 2019. The news did not reference coal.[6] Up to 60% of the terminal’s cargo comprised transshipment products, while 40% were import or export products.
By 2016, Transnet expected manganese to account for the biggest increase in capacity demand for dry bulk over the next 30 years, boosted by the planned 2019 launch of a 6.6-billion-rand specialized manganese terminal at the Port of Ngqura.[7]
In 2018, an upgrading programme was being implemented on the 1,200 km Manganese Export Line from Hotazel in Northern Cape to Kimberley, De Aar, and Coega in Eastern Cape to meet demand from manganese producers. The project included the construction of a new bulk export terminal at the new port of Ngqura and was expected to raise rail capacity from 5.5 million tonnes to 12 million tonnes initially and 16 million tonnes in the longer-term.[8]
More recent articles on the port's development have also focused on manganese and been silent about coal.[9][10]
Transet's 2020 report lists the Richards Bay Coal Terminal under "coal" in the Dry Bulk's Operational performance section, but does not reference Ngqura.[11]
As of 2021, the status of coal imports, exports, and transshipments at the port are unknown. Coal specific handling plans are presumed cancelled.
Project Details
- Operator: Transnet National Ports Authority
- Location: Ngqura, South Africa
- Existing Capacity (Tonnes): 6 million (all cargo)
- Proposed Capacity (Tonnes): 110 million (projected, all cargo)
- Status: Coal specific plans appear cancelled
- Type: Exports
- Coal Source: Mpumalanga province and the Waterberg region in northern South Africa
- Cost of expansion:
- Financing for expansion:
Resources and articles
Related GEM.wiki articles
References
- ↑ "The Port of Ngqura," Ports & Ships, accessed October 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Transnet National Ports Authority Port Development Framework Plans 2014," Transnet report, 2014
- ↑ "Port of Ngqura," Wikipedia, accessed October 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "EL set to lose coal terminal to Ngqura" DispatchLive, July 1, 2014
- ↑ "FINAL EIA REPORT: Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed Manganese Export Facility and Associated Infrastructure in the Coega Industrial Development Zone, Port of Ngqura and Tankatara area," Transnet, 2013
- ↑ "South Africa’s Transnet transformed," The Africa Report, July 28, 2015
- ↑ "South Africa plans multibillion port expansion to meet demand," Journal of Commerce Online, June 15, 2016
- ↑ "Heavy-haul at the heart of Transnet’s drive for growth," IRJ, January 24, 2018
- ↑ "Manganese: Change of plans for Coega export terminal," Roskill, March 10, 2021
- ↑ "Developer sought for new manganese terminal at Port of Ngqura," Fin24, October 11, 2021
- ↑ "Transnet National Ports Authority 2020," Investor Relations Report, 2020
