Durban — The newly commissioned Port of Durban’s dry dock pump house station is expected to improve turnaround time.
In a statement on Thursday, the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) said the Port of Durban has successfully commissioned its Prince Edward Graving dock pump house station which is set to increase the efficiencies and significantly improve docking and undocking turnaround time in order to attract more vessels into the facility.
The establishment of the dry dock pump house station forms part of Operation Phakisa which was put in place in 2014 to accelerate economic growth and fast-track the implementation of solutions to critical development issues.
These include unemployment, poverty, and inequality, whilst also looking at an innovative and pioneering approach to translate detailed plans into concrete results through dedicated delivery and collaboration.
Port of Durban port manager Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana said: “The Port of Durban’s Bayhead precinct was the key focus area under Operation Phakisa with projects such as the rehabilitation of the inner and outer caissons, equipment upgrade for Workshop 24 and the upgrading of the fire system in the dry dock having been identified and completed.
“Our investment into our infrastructure will enable us to retain our current customer base and attract new business – creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs in Durban.”
The TNPA said that operating for over 60 years, the dry dock’s old pump house system was originally designed to empty out the dock in eight hours, while the establishment of the new modern and semi-automated pump house station will reduce the hours to four. This increases the dock's productivity significantly, allowing for more efficient servicing of vessels calling the dock.
The pump house and its associated infrastructure such as penstock valves, gate valves, ball valves etc. have been able to keep the graving dock “dry” for almost 93 years. Over the years the time taken to empty the dock had increased due to the age of the pumps, as a result, efficiency has been compromised.
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