EASTERN CAPE INDUSTRIAL & BUSINESS NEWS
YOUR LINK TO INDUSTRY THROUGHOUT THE EASTERN CAPE
issn NO: 1996-9708
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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2013
Inside
First wind energy farm completed - Page 3
Africa’s first automated mooring system
T Electrical & Electronics - page 7
Harbour Infrastructure & Shipping - page 9 Consulting Engineers & Project Management - page 12
Education, Training & Social Development - page 15
Company & Product New page 17
ransnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has awarded a R140 million tender to global engineering group Cavotec, for automated mooring units at the Port of Ngqura’s container terminal. Cavotec will design, manufacture and install 26 MoorMaster 200C units for the four container berths at the Port. The project will be completed in two phases. Phase one will involve the installation and trials at D100 and phase two will cover installation at the other three container berths. The units will moor container ships
from 1,500 TEU up to 13,000 TEU and 366m in length. Significant long wave effects and high winds, especially during winter, cause excessive movement in the ships along the quay wall which interferes with crane operations. As a result there is a lot of downtime in cargo operations affecting the terminal’s efficiency targets. Depending on a number of factors, such as vessel size, wavelength and wind speed, the automated mooring units are expected to dampen vessel motion by as much as 75 percent. “This reduced ship movement, as
E Cape creates more construction jobs
M
ore jobs were created in the construction sector in the Eastern Cape than in any of the provinces in the first nine months of this year, according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) published by StatsSA. The number of people employed in the construction industry increased by 25 000 to 153 000. The industry in the Eastern Cape now employs more people than the Western Cape (134 000) and is third behind Gauteng (251 000) and KwaZulu-Natal (230 000). Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism MEC Mcebisi Jonas (pictured) accredited this to the pace at which the industrial development zones at Coega and East London are expand-
ing, as well to the contribution by state-owned enterprises and specifically Transnet which has committed significant funding to projects in the Eastern Cape. Eskom has also committed to investing R2.5 billion in transmission and distribution infrastructure, while development around Mthatha was also a contributing factor. The SANRAL projects connected to the upgrading of the N2 between Port Elizabeth and King William’s Town and in future the N2 Wild Coast Road as well as a significant number of projects that were being driven by the Education and Health departments had also contributed to this growth. Major private sector initiatives such as the Baywest City development in Port Elizabeth impacted these figures as well.
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well as faster mooring or release of vessels is expected to drive up the efficiency at the port,” says Tau Morwe TNPA Chief Executive. The technology is not one that can be “bought off the shelf”. It needs to be built to TNPA’s specifications. Therefore the first of the units will arrive within the next 12 months and it is expected that by 2015 the first terminal will be fully automated. “In terms of the tender, Cavotec will train local technicians to provide the technical support following delivery of the units. The company will also commission an independ-
ent engineering study, using computer modelling of the berth, to make recommendations on the technical details and performance targets of the application,” said Morwe. “This innovative system will help ensure that the Ngqura Container Terminal, which in terms of throughput is acknowledged by Drewry Maritime Research as the world’s fastest growing terminal, continues to grow as an increasingly attractive destination for shippers,” says Mpumi Dweba Port Manager, at Ngqura.
The figures provided by StatsSA also showed that the value of building plans passed by larger municipalities in the Eastern Cape was growing significantly. “In the first eight months of this year, the value of buildings plans passed increased by 35.2% to R3.3 billion, with plans for non-residential buildings such as shopping malls growing by 95.7% to R1.3 billion.” What made the figures more impressive was that several major projects had yet to get underway. “Most of the Transnet construction work such as that connected to the new manganese facility at Ngqura and coal export terminal at East London has yet to begin while the pace of investment into the IDZs can be expected to quicken. “If we then factor in future megaprojects such as the Mzimvubu Dam, Nuclear 1 at Thyspunt, Project Mthombo – the proposed oil refinery - the manganese smelters at Coega and the multi-model OEM in the East London IDZ, the future of the construction industry in the Eastern Cape looks particularly bright.”
Nelson Mandela Bay ICT incubator most productive
Enquiry no: 2
Enquiry no: 1
The ICT business incubator recently beat 28 other companies from the province to claim the Productivity SA Public Sector Award and the bragging rights as the most productive organisation in the Eastern Cape. It has also been named as one of the top five in the public sector nationally. The Productivity SA awards were introduced in June 1977 and recognise individuals, organisations and communities for their contributions to building South Africa’s productive capacity. “We are excited about the recognition of our contribution to the productivity of SA. This achievement would not be possible without the entrepreneurs we incubate.” “Thirty-five businesses in various stages of incubation under our umbrella posted a R7.5-million collective turnover for the 2012/13 financial year, up from the R5.3million recorded in the prior year,” continued on page two explained