PORTS, TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS SECTOR NEWS ROUND-UP, 19/2019 (22 SEPTEMBER – 4 OCTOBER 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 Angola, the DRC, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia.

Bowmans News:

• Bowmans’ 2019 South African Ports Review is now available. It includes news of regulatory and infrastructure developments in the South African ports space. Click here to download.

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:

How BlockChain is improving Supply Chain Management (International)
Source: Shipping and Freight Resource (7 October 2019)
A supply chain is defined as an end to end process involving a network of people, resources, activities, organizations, technology, information, etc. that provides a path to the movement and, the flow of goods and services from the supplier to the end-customer. Now, this doesn’t sound troublesome when it’s carried out at a smaller level. But imagine, what it would be like for the companies and organizations having a business that is spread across multiple countries. Read the full article here.

New TNPA port helicopters take official flight (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (4 October 2019)
A guard of honour and ceremonial flyover were among the activities marking the official launch in Richards Bay on Thursday (3 October) of Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) two new port helicopters. Read the full article here.

Angola launches international public tender for 10 new oil concessions (Angola)
Source: Africa Ports (4 October 2019)
Angola has officially launched an international tender calling for oil exploration in 10 blocks of the Namibe and Benguela basins, reports Macauhub. Read the full article here.

New cutter suction dredger for Moma mining operation arrives at Nacala (Mozambique)
Source: Africa Ports (4 October 2019)
A cutter suction dredger (CSD) named JULIA, arrived recently at the northern Mozambique port of Nacala. The CSD is to go into service at the Kenmare titanium mine at Moma, to the south of Nacala. Read the full article here. 

Drones set to reshape cargo, transportation sector (International)
Source: Creamer Media’s Engineering News (2 October 2019)
The emergence of cargo drones is set to radically improve the cargo and transportation sector, as they are able to offer autonomous quality service 24 hours a day, the yearly World Congress of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Association (Fiata), has heard. Read the full article here.

Technology takes centre stage at Fiata conference (International)
Source: FTW Online (2 October 2019)
The International Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations (Fiata) was reinventing itself to meet the challenges of the future head on, said its president Babar Badat in Cape Town yesterday. Read the full article here.

New Mozambique railway will connect Quelimane and Macuse with Tete (Mozambique)
Source: Africa Ports (2 October 2019)
Some details of the new railway to connect a new ore port at Macuse north of the port town of Quelimane with Tete province, have been revealed. Read the full article here.

Blue Economy key to Kenya's development, says President Kenyatta (Kenya)
Source: Africa Ports (2 October 2019)
According to Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya is prioritising the implementation of sustainable blue economy programs because of the sector’s potential to accelerate the country’s development. Read the full article here.

Contract awarded for new Port Louis cruise terminal (Mauritius)
Source: Africa Ports (2 October 2019)
The contract to build a new US$14 million cruise terminal at Port Louis in Mauritius has been awarded to the joint venture of CRBC-PADCO. Read the full article here.

No end to transporters’ woes on the DRC-Zambia border (DRC and Zambia)
Source: FTW Online (1 October 2019)
An alternative stretch of dirt track used by transporters serving the SADC on the south-bound empty leg to alleviate a notoriously congested crossing between the DRC and Zambia has become a major concern, a haulier has told FTW Online. Read the full article here.

Total closing deal with Anadarko for LNG project in Mozambique (Mozambique)
Source: Africa Ports (1 October 2019)
Total announced yesterday (Monday) the closing of the acquisition of Anadarko’s 26.5% operated interest in the Mozambique LNG project for a purchase price of US$3.9 billion. Read the full article here.

US EXIM Bank approves loan for Mozambique LNG project (Mozambique)
Source: Africa Ports (1 October 2019)
The board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) on Thursday (16 September) voted to authorise a direct loan of up to US$5 billion. The loan is to support the export of U.S. goods and services from multiple states for the development and construction of an integrated liquefied natural gas (LNG) project located on the Afungi Peninsula in northern Mozambique. Read the full article here.

Awarding of contracts confirms further drilling for oil & gas off Mossel Bay (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (30 September 2019)
The awarding of contracts issued to Norway’s Solstad Farstad to provide two large anchor handling tugs (AHTS) is bringing further drilling for oil and gas on the Outeniqua Basin off Mossel Bay closer to reality. Read the full article here.

Transnet reports solid results in year ending 31 March 2019 (South Africa)
Source: Transnet (29 September 2019)
Read the full media statement here.

Which way forward for coal in Africa's renewable future? (International)
Source: Africa Ports (26 September 2019)
African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina on Tuesday unveiled ambitious plans to scrap coal power stations across the continent and switch to renewable energy at United Nations climate talks on Monday. Read the full article here.

Port of Cape Town to issue R85 million contract for two new workboats (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (23 September 2019)
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) will secure two new workboats by 2022 to boost marine operations at the Port of Cape Town and to improve general efficiency. Read the full article here.

Walvis Bay Multipurpose Terminal opens opportunities (Namibia)
Source: Africa Ports (23 September 2019)
The Port of Walvis Bay is excited about the opportunities presented by the multipurpose terminal at berths 1 – 8, following the commissioning of the New Container Terminal. Read the full article here.