Supporting the objective of being an important, fourth largest exporter of iron ore to the Eastern market, the Saldanha Terminal is Africa's largest iron ore exporter.
The largest natural, deep-water port in the Southern
Hemisphere, situated 140 km northwest of Cape Town. The Saldanha Bulk Terminal
has an average draft of between 18 to 20 meters across with two berths that
accommodates Cape-sized vessels. The terminal remains the largest iron ore
export facility in Africa loading on average 25 vessels per month.
Saldanha Terminal started operating in 1976 exporting iron
ore to the Middle East, establishing itself as a bulk facility. In 1979, the
terminal diversified to handle break bulk commodities such as lead, copper and
zinc concentrates. Steel and heavy minerals were added nearly two decades
later.
Transnet Port Terminals Saldanha consists of two key
Terminals: namely the Iron Ore Terminal, which has an installed capacity of 57
million tons of iron ore, whilst the Multi-Purpose Terminal has an installed
capacity of 8.5 Million tons of break bulk Cargo.
The Iron Ore Terminal is the largest iron ore export
facility in Africa and South Africa’s only dedicated iron ore terminal. It is
the deepest and largest natural port in Southern Africa. In 1969 feasibility
studies for an extensive iron ore export project were conducted and
Construction began in 1973. The first deliveries of iron ore were exported on
the vessel Fern Sea during September 1976. Customers began with iron ore
exports in 1980, using the terminal to export its iron ore and later in 1998
the Saldanha Steel Mill was commissioned. Plant was decommissioned March 2020.
It is a highly mechanized ore-handling plant where to date in excess of 1.1
Billion tons of iron ore has been exported through the Iron Ore Terminal.
The Multi-Purpose Terminal plays a major role in SA
manganese export market and in addition to manganese the terminal plays a major
support role in iron ore exports.
Iron Ore Terminal
Saldanha
The Iron Ore Terminal Saldanha is the only dedicated iron
ore terminal in Saldanha and accounts for roughly 96% of all iron ore exports
from South Africa, with the remaining 4% chanelled through MPT Saldanha.
The iron mines are situated in the Northern Cape - 861km
from Saldanha Bay. The operation is capital intensive and operates 24/7 with
only Labour Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day classified as voluntary
public holidays.
Multipurpose Terminal
Saldanha
The Saldanha Multipurpose Terminal services mainly bulk
clients, with only 5% accounting for breakbulk during the previous financial
year. Manganese accounted for 49% of total volumes handled at MPT for the
2019/20 financial year, and iron ore 26%.
The Multipurpose Terminal has four berths in total, with
berths 203 and 204 dedicated to manganese and iron ore vessels only – vessel
scheduling is as per slot system. Berths 201 and 202 operate on a 14-day
nomination rule and service all breakbulk cargo, as well as other bulk
commodities (all bulk cargo except the manganese and iron ore).
For 2020/21 YTD, manganese accounted for 77,8% of revenue,
and iron ore 10,9%. Total bulk cargo account for ~ 99% of revenue for 2020/21
YTD.
Employing a combined staff complement of 671, the terminal's
tonnage capacity is currently at 57 million tons per annum of bulk and 8,5
million tons per annum for break bulk. The terminal will increase its current
bulk capacity to 65 million tons per annum in the next six years. Saldanha is
water-scarce area and to ensure sufficient fresh water, Transnet Port Terminals
(TPT) invested in a reverse osmosis plant that uses the existing seawater,
sifts it of brine and salt for use in dust control management at the terminal.