The MOU will create a new joint venture to invest in and work with other potential partners. Terms and investment amount were not disclosed.

APM Terminals Vado is a new terminal in northern Italy, which when opened in January 2018 will handle both containerized and liquid bulk cargoes – and integrated operationally with the existing 275,000 annual TEU capacity Vado Reefer Terminal facility, which was acquired by APM Terminals in August 2015.

The Italian government is providing EUR 300 million for civil works for the project. APM Terminals is investing EUR 150 million in the new terminal which will create 450 new jobs when operations commence. In 2014, the ports of northern Italy’s Liguria range, including La Spezia, Genoa and Savona/Vado, handled a combined 3.5 million TEU, representing an increase of approximately 6% compared with the previous year.

The Port of Qingdao, located in the Shandong Province on the Yellow Sea, is one of northern China’s major ports. Qingdao is the 7th-busiest container port in the world, and the 5th-busiest in mainland China, with throughput of 16.6 million TEU in 2014.

APM Terminals is a minority shareholder in the Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal (QQCT), investing in 2003. QQCT has holdings in Qingdao Qianwan United Container Terminal (QQCTU) and Qingdao New Qianwan Terminal (QQCTN).
QQCT handled 7.9 million TEUs in 2014, and was tied for 3rd among the world’s most productive container terminals by the JOC Group for 2014, with 136mph with a vessel alongside. In productivity while working vessels of over 8,000 TEU capacity, QQCT tied for first place globally, with 157mph. QQCTU handed 2.95 million TEU in 2014. A major expansion of the facilities at the port is now underway.

“The Maydon Wharf infrastructure upgrade forms an integral part of Transnet’s Market Demand Strategy which aims to enable the effective, efficient and economic functioning of an integrated port system to promote economic growth,” said Senior Operations Manager in the Port of Durban, Zola Nkowane.

“It involves the reconstruction and deepening of six of the 15 berths in this precinct. Once completed the berths will have a draught of 14.5m enabling them to handle vessels with draughts up to 13m, however the Maydon Wharf entrance channel will still need to be deepened thereafter to enable these vessels to sail in fully laden.”

The quay walls in the precinct were originally designed to handle vessels of approximately 20,000 DWT versus the 55,000 DWT vessels now calling. Bigger vessels call mainly half laden due to the current draught and width restrictions.

Berths 1-2 and 13-14 are currently under construction, following the reconstruction of berth 12, which was completed in November 2012. Berths 3-4 will be under construction early in 2016.

The R1.6 billion project, which is being overseen by Transnet Capital Projects, has already seen demolition of paving, rail track work and services, construction of new steel sheet piled quay walls, demolition of existing piled crane beams, extraction of timber, concrete piles and a limited number of steel sheet piles and removal of the existing quay wall and capping beams.

Work includes driving of inclined grouted steel anchor piles (being used in South Africa for the first time), backfilling behind the quay walls, construction of new reinforced concrete capping beams, supply and installation of bollards, fenders, ladders and quay services, construction of railway tracks, layer works and paving, dredging of material adjacent to the berths and construction of rock scour protection.

The main challenges have been balancing operations and the project, including site access, executing work around the existing ship loader foundations and conveyor, as well as obstructions and incorrect as built information supplied. The project team has also had to contend with strong winds and wakes formed by tugs operating in the precinct affecting floating equipment used for construction.

As a result the team has implemented night and weekend shifts and mobilised additional plant to ensure that the project remains on track. Among achievements to date include a satisfactory audit report, the successful pull out test on the anchor pile system and the completion of all piling and the new cope on Berth 1. A record 4500 tonnes of steel was offloaded, transported and stacked during a continuous 84 hour operation.

Twenty percent of the total contract value was set aside for supplier development, including training, employment and local content, in line with Transnet’s social development programme. Rare skills are being developed and
transferred during this ground-breaking project. A young TNPA engineer doing his in-service training achieved 75% for his report using experience gained on site. Also being trained on site are a quantity surveyor, a planner, a cost engineer and a contract administrator.

BMT will continue to provide a range of project management services for the Department from the early stage review of hydrographic survey data to assess the maintenance dredging requirements, through to the project planning process leading to the management of the project execution and site supervision.

Tim Green, Managing Director of BMT JFA Consultants explains: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with the DoT and look forward to working with the team to further understand its requirements and provide an integrated and comprehensive service the DoT has come to expect of BMT.”