PORTS, TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS SECTOR NEWS ROUND-UP, 18/2019 (9 – 20 SEPTEMBER 2019)
In light of the rapid pace of infrastructure and transport developments across Africa, our Ports, Transport and Logistics (PTL) Sector Group is pleased to present Bowmans’ latest PTL news round-up. Our regular round-ups bring you a selection of pan-African PTL-related stories and keep you up to date regarding developments in the space across Africa.
We draw on a network of multi-disciplinary experts across Africa in fields as diverse as project finance, construction and environmental law, to keep you in the know about developments and thought leadership in the PTL space.
The articles to which we refer readers are, unless stated otherwise, neither written nor edited by ourselves and appear in their original form. Bowmans does not necessarily agree with opinions expressed in those articles.
This edition includes news headlines and links to articles from a variety of sources, covering stories from the DRC, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Calls for public comment (South Africa):
- Review of the Port Tariff Methodology and call for submissions
The Ports Regulator of South Africa has called for public comment on the review of the proposed multi-year tariff methodology for determining tariff increases, by 4 November 2019. Full details are available from their website here.
News continues below:
New energy deal set to boost Moz LNG exports (Mozambique)
Source: FTW Online (20 September 2019)
Mozambique is reportedly set to become one of the leading global LNG exporters following the signing of a partnership agreement this week between the Dutch-owned energy company, Vitol, and ENH, the National Oil Company of Mozambique. Read the full article here.
Harmonised standards needed to facilitate intra-African trade (South Africa)
Source: FTW Online (19 September 2019)
Standards organisations across Africa should develop common systems and standards that sustainably support social, economic, trade and industrial integration to ensure trade facilitation on the continent. Read the full article here.
Smit Lamnalco signs 10-year Coral Sul terminal services contract in Mozambique (Mozambique)
Source: Africa Ports (18 September 2019)
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) announced earlier today (Wednesday 18 September 2019) that its 50% associated company Smit Lamnalco has been awarded a substantial 10-year contract with additional extension options by Coral FLNG to provide integrated marine services to the first Mozambique Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) terminal situated in the Rovuma Basin. Read the full article here.
Digital era to unlock huge potential for logistics (International)
Source: FTW Online (18 September 2019)
Driven by customer demands in the digital era, the future will deliver efficiencies that the logistics industry has never seen before. According to Stephen Morris, acting director-general of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (Fiata), technology is bringing significant change even to an industry as set in its ways as logistics. Read the full article here.
AfCFTA under the spotlight at ISO assembly in Cape Town (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (18 September 2019)
Support for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement formed part of discussions at the 42nd General Assembly of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), currently underway in Cape Town. Read the full article here.
Kalagadi Manganese and Transnet signs a R3-billion worth MECA 2 Contract (South Africa)
Source: Transnet (17 September 2019)
Black owned and woman led, Kalagadi Manganese (Pty) Ltd and Transnet Ltd have cemented a R3-billion partnership which will allow for the transportation of up to 3-million tonnes per annum of beneficiated sinter manganese. Read the full media release here. Also reported in Africa Ports here.
Citrus moves from road to rail (South Africa)
Source: FTW Online (17 September 2019)
A public and private partnership between Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and the Citrus Growers Association (CGA) to get citrus exports onto rail is “equal to the task of getting SA working”, according to a senior Transnet official. Read the full article here.
Boat sinks near Kinshasa in DRC, dozens feared dead (DRC)
Source: Africa Ports (17 September 2019)
There has been another boating tragedy on the Congo river in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a report in Deutsche Welle. Read the full article here.
Durban Aerotropolis Master Plan to have positive spinoffs for KZN (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (17 September 2019)
The unveiling of the Durban Aerotropolis Master Plan will have positive spinoffs for KwaZulu-Natal, says Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina. Read the full article here. Also reported in FTW Online here.
Giant LPG storage tanks arrive at Port of Richards Bay (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (17 September 2019)
Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) Port of Richards Bay has put out the welcome mat for the arrival of four new 5650-ton liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage bullets on Thursday, 12 September. Read the full article here. Also reported in FTW Online here.
The tanks will be installed at the Bidvest Tank Terminals facility and will be dedicated for use by the international LPG logistics giant, Petredec, whom Bowmans advised in the deal.
Zim’s railway development project gets funding approval (Zimbabwe)
Source: FTW Online (16 September 2019)
The ambitions of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) to “be a provider of world-class railway infrastructure and transport services by 2020” are back on track, after the executive board approved a $420 million funding offer from the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG). Read the full article here.
Minister calls for transformation of South Africa maritime industry (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (12 September 2019)
South Africa must strive to transform the maritime sector and unlock the economic opportunities which lie dormant in the sector, says Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula. Read the full article here.
Bolloré Transport & Logistics inaugurates new multimodal hub in Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Source: Africa Ports (12 September 2019)
Bolloré Transport & Logistics last week (4 September) inaugurated its new multimodal logistics hub, Aerohub, in Abidjan. The inauguration event was attended by Ivory Coast Transport Minister Amadou Kone, Minister of Trade Souleymane Diarrassouba and Bolloré Logistics chief executive officer Thierry Ehrenbogen. Read the full article here.
South African Denrick Moos takes the helm of Nigeria's PTOL (Nigeria)
Source: Africa Ports (12 September 2019)
A new dynamic management team under the leadership of South African Denrick Moos has been appointed to reposition and operate Ports and Terminal Operators (Nigeria) Limited (PTOL), a Nigerian firm that operates a multi-purpose terminal in Port Harcourt. Read the full article here.
European port leads the way in simultaneous drone flight testing (International)
Source: FTW Online (12 September 2019)
Following the trial round of a drone test flight at the DronePort in Belgium’s Sint-Truiden, partners involved in the project known as SAFIR – the “Safe and Flexible Integration of Initial U-space Services in a Real Environment” – are set to test simultaneous drone flights over Antwerp’s city centre and port on September 26. Read the full article here.
Mozambique to woo investors digitally (Mozambique)
Source: FTW Online (12 September 2019)
The Mozambican government is set to launch a digital platform that will provide information on investment and export opportunities in the country for potential local and global investors. Read the full article here.
Kenya Port of Lamu to be opened in October (Kenya)
Source: Africa Ports (10 September 2019)
With the completion of the first berth at Kenya’s new deepwater Port of Lamu the next stage has been set for the official opening of the port to shipping. Read the full article here.