DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.: 1087
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 01 April 2011
1087. Dr S M van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:
(a) Which ports are equipped with facilities to receive goods by rail, (b)
what is the (i) maximum and (ii) actual amount of (aa) maize and (bb)
grain, in tons, that (aaa) can be handled by each of these ports each day
and (bbb) is delivered by (aaaa) rail and (bbbb) truck to each of these
ports each day, (c) how many trucks deliver grain to each of these ports
each day and (d) what plans are in place to (i) decrease road
transportation of grain and (ii) to fully utilise the rail facilities at
our ports to transport grain? NW1209E
Reply:
1(a) The following ports have facilities to receive goods by rail in South
Africa:
⢠Port of Cape Town;
⢠Port of Durban;
⢠Port of East London; and
⢠Port of Port Elizabeth.
1(b)(i) The maximum amount of maize and grain in tons that can be handled
by each of these ports each day is as follows:
Port of Cape Town
Fresh Produce Terminal - 5000 tons per day.
Agricultural and Ro Ro Terminal - 4500 tons per day.
Port of East London
East London -Grain Terminal- 5120 tons per day.
Port of Port Elizabeth
Multi-Purpose Terminal - 3000 tons per day.
Port of Durban
SA Bulk Terminal - 1250 tons handled per day on rail and road split with
full rail supply the terminal can push up to 1786 tons per day as maximum
throughput.
Agriport Terminal - 2143 tons handled per day on road and rail split with
a full rail supply, the terminal can push up to a maximum of 2976 tons per
day.
Durban Bulk Shipping Terminal - 2530 tons handled per day on rail and road
split with a full rail supply, the terminal can push up to a maximum of
4464 tons per day.
1(b)(ii)(aa-bb)(aaa-bbb)The table below indicates the actual volumes of
maize and grain in tons - exported between April 2010 to February 2011.
|Name of the port |Maize |*Grain |
|Port of Durban |1 116 846.7 |16 280 |
|Port of East London |28 175 |- |
|Port of Port Elizabeth |- |- |
|Port of Cape Town |- |- |
1(b)(ii)(aa-bb)(aaa-bbb)The table below indicates the actual volumes of
maize and grain in tons - imported between April 2010 to February 2011.
|Name of the port |Maize |*Grain |
|Port of Durban |22 531 |1 299 452.2 |
|Port of East London |- |111 929 |
|Port of Port Elizabeth |- |95 254 |
|Port of Cape Town |- |213 209 |
*Includes wheat as a subcategory of Grain
1(aaaa) Rail deliveries per day are as follows:
Port of East London ( Maize and Grain)
Grain terminal in Port of East London handles 1760 tons per day.
Port of Durban (Maize and Grain)
Port of Durban handles an estimated 2200 tons per day or 2200 tons are
railed through Durban Bulk Shipping (DBS) and South African Bulk Terminal
(SABT):
⢠Agriport handles 1 train per day carrying 16 - 44Ton wagons.
⢠SABT handles 1 train carrying 18 â 44Ton wagons per day.
⢠DBS handles 1 train with an average of 4 wagons per day.
Port of Port Elizabeth (Grain)
Approximately 100 to 120 Wagons are assigned per shipment with a capacity
of 44 tons per wagon-Loading performed on 1 train per day carrying 36
wagons.
Port of Cape Town (Grain)
150 to 200 Wagons are assigned whilst the vessel is in the port â which
equates to loading 1 train carrying 28 - 40Ton wagons per day as the port
only handles imports.
1(bbbb) & (c) Truck deliveries per day are as follows:
Port of East London (Maize and Grain)
None by road.
Port of Durban ( Maize and Grain)
25-40 ton trucks between all three terminals can reach approximately 360
tons on busy days but average at approximately 50 to 80 per day per
terminal.
Port of Cape Town (Grain)
8 (40Ton) Trucks per day.
Port of Port Elizabeth (Grain)
6 (33Ton) Trucks per day.
1(d)(i)(ii) There is a government integrated strategy involving the
relevant government stakeholders to incentivise the use of rail to
transport freight and increase rail market share. In addition, Transnetâs
internal initiatives to promote rail as a preferred mode and ensure that
the port facilities are also fully optimised for handling of freight from
rail are being reviewed.