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The Draft Scoping Report for the R7.5 billion rand manganese export terminal and associated infrastructure at the Port of Ngqura and Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) has been released for public comment.
This marks another step in the process in terms of which the first ship is expected to load its cargo of manganese in January 2017.
The environmental impact assessment for the facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2013 with construction scheduled to take three years and create about 1 000 jobs at peak.
Operation of the export terminal will require about 250 employees working in two shifts.
The new export terminal will pave the way for the relocation of the existing manganese facility in the Port Elizabeth Harbour.
Research is currently underway as to what use to which the land vacated by the facility and the oil tank farm can be put, with Transnet CEO Brian Molefe stating that the expansion of the existing car terminal and a waterfront development are not mutually exclusive.
The manganese will be ferried to the port and IDZ from Hotazel with four 200-wagon trains arriving every day.
A stockyard for the manganese will be constructed in Zone 9 of the IDZ over an area of approximately 40 hectares and will hold between 1.6 and 2 million tons of manganese separated into the various grades.
An overland conveyor system, which will be covered to reduce windblown dust, will link the stockyard to the ship loaders.
The Draft Scoping Report says that it is proposed that the ship loaders will be designed to load Panamax vessels at a rate of 3 000 tons an hour.
Included in the rail infrastructure for the project will be a wagon and locomotive maintenance facility for small maintenance requirements and a diesel locomotive fueling facility.
In addition, a locomotive wash bay will be provided and several buildings including one as the headquarters for Transnet Freight Rail Operations.
(Source: Metro Minute - to subscribe mail metminutes@iafrica.com)
