Saldanha (Port)

Latest news

South Africa’s Kumba Iron Ore to start port maintenance in Sep

South African iron ore miner Kumba Iron Ore will start Saldanha port maintenance in September, according to contractual buyers of Kumba Monday. A company spokeswoman said Monday maintenance has already been scheduled early this year, the exact date was not yet certain but maintenance work would take a couple of weeks. “We have been informed by the miner that there will be port maintenance this month and shipments could be delayed,” a source at a large steelmaker in northern China which is a contractual buyer of Kumba. The expected tightness in supply from the maintenance could potentially push up lump premiums in China, as Kumba’s lump is used heavily by Chinese steel mills due to its high iron and low alumina content, according to an international trader. Lump demand in China has been strong recently because of the government’s strict controls over iron ore sintering on top of high iron ore pellet prices. Lump inventories at major ports in China had seen a sharp drawdown in August, according to market sources. Anglo American’s Kumba sold 21.2 million mt of iron ore in the first half of 2018, and 66.34% of Kumba’s total production is lump.

$100M Tug Contract: Ninth Boat Delivered in South Africa

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is on track with its $100m tug building contract and celebrated the ceremonial launch of the fourth of its nine new tugs being built in Durban. The tug – named OSPREY in honor of the fish eagle – will serve at the Port of Saldanha. In line with maritime tradition, the duty of officially naming the vessel was carried out by Lady Sponsor, Thandeka Mabija, who earlier this month was appointed General Manager for Human Resources at TNPA. TNPA Chief Operating Officer, Phyllis Difeto, said: “The work by Durban ship builder, Southern African Shipyards, on this project has helped to cement the marine ship building and support industry locally. Having a local manufacturer also promises excellent after-sales support for the 35-year service life of these vessels. Local ship building expertise is exactly what the government’s Operation Phakisa initiatives aim to leverage in unlocking the potential of the Ocean Economy.” http://www.marinelink.com/news/delivered-contract-africa415697

South Africa mulls R20bn gas port at Saldanha Bay

South Africa could build its first R20 billion ($1.4 billion) liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility at the west coast port of Saldanha Bay to feed gas-to-power projects aimed at easing chronic supply shortages, an official said on Tuesday. Importing LNG is among the options Africa’s most developed economy is considering to diversify its energy sources away from coal and ease power shortfalls that have curbed growth. Several companies, including Shell, Mitsubishi and Sasol, are expected to bid for 3 126 megawatt (MW) gas-to-power projects in the first quarter of 2016, when exact details will become known. “Saldanha Bay ticks all the boxes,” Fernel Abrahams, project manager for the LNG project at the Western Cape provincial government told Reuters. “It makes economic sense, it will help improve energy security and all our studies around ocean conditions, demurrage and market growth show it is technically feasible to land gas here.” He said the plan would be to build an import facility at, or close to Saldanha Bay, South Africa’s deepest natural port and emerging oil and gas hub, with pipelines supplying enough gas for power plants to supply thousands of industrial users and homes stretching to Cape Town around 150 km (90 miles) away