DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.: 938
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18 March 2011
938. Mr S B Farrow (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:
(1) In respect of (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010, (i) how many rubber-
tyred gantry (RTG) cranes were (aa) purchased for our ports and (bb)
allocated to each port and (ii) what was the purchase value of each RTG
crane landed and erected;
(2) Whether any research has been done (a) before and (b) subsequent to
these purchases as to (i) the effectiveness and (ii) wind sensitivity of
these cranes; if not, why not; if so,
(3) Whether his department will (a) phase out these cranes or (b) relocate
them to less windy ports or (c) place an immediate moratorium on any future
purchases of these cranes; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are
the relevant details in each case;
(4)(a) What down time has been experienced with regard to these cranes in
the past 12 months as a result of wind at each of the ports where they are
being used and (b) what has been the cost of the specified down time at
each port? NW1056E
REPLY
(1) The table below indicates the years, the total number of Rubber-Tyred
Gantry (RTG) cranes purchased and allocated to each port and the purchase
value of each RTG crane.
| |(aa) and (bb) |(i) Number of |(ii) |
|Year |Ports |RTG cranes |Purchase value |
|(a) 2008 |Port of Ngqura | 10 | |
| | | |R133,748,758 |
|(b) 2009 |Port of Ngqura | 12 | |
| | | |R163,478,431 |
| |Port of Cape Town |16 |R263,610,237 |
|(c) 2010 |Port of Cape Town | 12 | |
| | | |R212,433,150 |
| |Port of Durban, Pier|4 |R72,293,576 |
| |1 | | |
| | | | |
|Total | |54 |R845,564,152 |
(2)(a-b)(i-ii) Transnet undertook extensive research before it decided to
either convert the straddle operations into RTGs at the Durban Container
Terminal and the Cape Town Container Terminal, or purchase of the new RTGs
in the Ngqura Container Terminal. Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) appointed a
Netherlands based Container Simulation Company, to undertake computer
simulations of the terminals to confirm capacity, operations, impact
assessments of various scenarios and productivity levels, prior to the
investment being made in all the handling equipment. The computer
simulations allowed for wind disruptions based on those recorded over the
past 10 years which are 6 hours of wind delays per week (off-peak season)
and 12 hours of wind delays per 5 days (peak season).
The RTGs are structurally able to work up to wind speeds of 90 km/h.
However, the RTGsâ speed reduces to 80% of normal operating speed between
wind speed of 70 and 80 km/h and to 60% of normal operating speed between
wind speeds of 80 and 90 km/h. The RTGs need to be parked when the wind
speed reaches 90 km/h. For safety reasons the machines will not be operated
at wind speeds in excess of 80 km/h to allow the operator sufficient time
to park the machine.
(3) The Department of Public Enterprises will not recommend to Transnet to
phase out these cranes; or relocate them to less windy ports; or place an
immediate moratorium on any future purchases of these cranes for the
following reasons:
⢠The primary benefit of the RTG system over the straddle carrier system
is about increasing terminal capacity (higher container stacks)
especially in cases where land (container ground slots) is
constrained. This would not be possible with the continued use of the
dated straddle carrier system. For example, if Transnet chose to
remain with the status quo then the annual throughput capacity of
 750,000 TEUâs in the Cape Town Container Terminal would be a major
constraint on economic growth and cause even more significant
congestion, not only during the windy season.
⢠The decision to switch to RTGs was considered against a number of
competing priorities. It was informed by detailed technical studies
and computer simulations. The chosen technology is the best the market
can offer. Both suppliers are well respected in the market and have
robust and proven products. The switch to RTG technology in a
container terminal already fitted with straddle carriers is not an
overnight change. Typically, it takes between 2 â 3 years for the
transformation to fully realise its ultimate objectives. This
expectation is reinforced by similar case studies of other
international container terminals that completed their modernisation
programmes.Â
⢠The Straddle-RTG transformation journey requires an appreciation from
all parties that the system has a natural lead time for change to
fully take effect. It requires equipment operators to be able to
adapt to the new technology with the confidence needed to fully
achieve the targeted potential â that could be an 18-24 months
process.Â
⢠The berth deepening sub-stream of the Cape Town Expansion Project is
also a current imperative that is limiting the berthing capacity at
the terminal and once complete, Cape Town Container Terminal will be a
vibrant and modernised terminal.
⢠The ship-to-shore cranes that either load or unload containers from a
vessel are more sensitive to wind than the RTGs. This is due both to
their height as well as to the added torsion of their reach over the
vessel. The determination of a terminal being wind-bound is made due
to the cranes having to be raised due to high wind speeds and not the
RTGs.
(4) As stated above the down time at the terminals due to high wind speed
is caused by the cranes having to be halted and not the RTGs. In high wind
speeds above 65km/h it becomes increasingly dangerous to run a ship-to-
shore crane, even in creep mode. Therefore, the number below reflects the
number of hours that the terminals that utilised RTGs have been wind-bound
due to the ship-to-shore cranes having to be halted.
The following figures in hours are for the past 11 months:
⢠Durban Container Terminals (Pier 1) â 1231,5 hours;
⢠Ngqura Container Terminal â 1308,76 hours; and
⢠Cape Town Container Terminal â 746,03 hours.
Transnet will exceed its volume targets for containers in this financial
year, evidence that infrastructure decisions made to increase capacity have
and will continue to prove their worth.