Coal To The World, Growth To The Nation
Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), is a world class coal export terminal situated in the Port of Richards Bay. The terminal was opened in 1976 with an original capacity of 12-million tons per annum (mt/a).
The terminal provides South Africa's Coal Exporting Parties (CEPs) with a world-class logistics service that facilitates the export of coal. All RBCT's operations and administrative functions are conducted in Richards Bay.
RBCT is positioned at one of the world's deep-sea ports and handles an average of 76 large ships per month and large volumes of coal. The 276-hectare site currently boasts a quay that is 2.2km long with six berths and four ship loaders, with a stockyard capacity of 8.2-million tons.
RBCT shares a strong cooperative relationship with South Africa's national utility, Transnet, which provides the railway services linking the coal mines to the port, and the shipping coordination of more than 900 ships per annum.
In 2018, the main export destination of the coal was Asia at 81.6%. Europe was the recipient of 10.1% of the coal, Africa 8% and South America 0.3%. India was the biggest single country recipient at 35.29-million tonnes followed by Pakistan at 9.37-million tonnes and then South Korea at 6.73-million tonnes.
RBCT CEO Alan Waller recently outlined the success of Africa's largest coal terminal to move coal in a safe, cost-effective and efficient manner.
The terminal received 27 trains a day against a capacity to receive 32 trains a day as part of its partnership with Transnet Freight Rail, which Waller described as one that "works very well".
RBCT boosted productivity and improved turnaround times after a 1.34 billion rand machinery upgrade which was completed in 2018.
RBCT launched the project to replace its ageing machines with the aim of sustaining the terminal's 91 million tonne capacity, but the process has also increased efficiencies, it said.
"The project installed two new rail-mounted stacker reclaimers, which scoop up and transfer coal into and out of the yard and its rail-mounted shiploaders. They in turn transport coal along a conveyer into a ship's hold.
The two new reclaimers are expected to have a capacity of 6,000 tonnes per hour compared to the previous machines' 4,500 tonnes per hour, while the shiploader will have 10,000 tonnes per hour capacity compared with 8,000 tonnes per hour previously.
The reclaimers have also cut the amount of bulldozing needed after its coal-carrying arm was extended further into the coal yard from 40 metres to 60 metres, said RBCT project general manager Bill Murphy. "That means it has a longer reach and there is less bulldozing time. It increases the productivity at RBCT," said Murphy.
The project also reconfigured the terminal's five existing electrical substations and added a new substation.
RBCT spent only R1.25bn of the R1.34bn budgeted for the project. The next steps will be to improve the capacity of the intermediate machinery through debottlenecking, which could deliver another 2Mt to 4Mt of efficiencies, allowing the terminal to minimise the impact of weather delays.
CSI PROJECTS
RBCT focus remains on early childhood development and education. Siqondimfundo Crèche was the biggest project for 2018 where over R2.4 million was spent.