THE completion of the R360-million Admin Craft Basin (ACB) in the Port of Ngqura has opened up opportunities for revenue growth in this young developing port.
That’s according to Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), which said that the new structure would be home to the port’s three tugs and one pilot boat soon, freeing up Berth C101, which was designed to handle revenue generating vessels.
“Having had no facility to berth the tugs was always a limitation for the port in terms of revenue creation. This significant investment in infrastructure demonstrates TNPA’s confidence in the future capabilities of this expanding port,” said Zanele Ntantala, the Senior Engineer who managed the project.
“The long term future development of the port was taken into account during design. The position of the facility, located at the root of the Eastern Breakwater, allows unhindered developments in the long term.”
As much as the structure is in the middle of an operational port, the construction was done in the dry. That took time, as the contractor had to build a temporary working platform and piles for the ACB Finger pier. The pier is a suspended concrete deck on piles. The water was pumped out of the Finger pier site area so that piling and other work could commence. It was pumped back in again after completion.
The facility is made up of a 300-metre breakwater armoured with rock and a 120-metre finger pier capable of handling six tugs or four tugs, a pilot boat and other small craft as per the current medium-term requirement.
Provision has also been made for easy extension of the pier to accommodate two extra tugs should there be a need in future. The design of the ACB provides ample opportunities for easy construction to berth additional small craft such as tugs, SANParks and SAPS vessels in future. The channel of the ACB as well as the basin is 8.3 metres deep.
There is one outstanding construction task to be completed before the tugs can move to their new home. This entails the completion of dredging, which was anticipated to be done by the end April 2018. TNPA Lighthouses also has to install navigational equipment on site.
The contractor was Basil Read, with subcontractor Sub-Tech responsible for dredging. The role of TNPA’s Port Engineers department was mainly to ensure that the project was delivered within budget, according to specification and that it fulfils its purpose.