One of three conveyor belts damaged in the October 2021 fires has returned to full operation at the Richards Bay Bulk Terminal, in KwaZulu-Natal, and will prioritise the handling of coal exports. This will facilitate more than 400 coal trucks being removed from the road, as the 2.2-km-long conveyor belt has an output of more than three-million tonnes a year.
Richards Bay Terminals managing executive Thulasizwe Dlamini explained on Tuesday that the rebuild programme had been rolling out over the past two years.
“I am very grateful that we did not default on the undertaking we made. The team has been steadfast in getting this infrastructure back on track. It is exciting that we are going to be able to service our customers efficiently again” he said.
Dlamini added that the terminal was working on returning the remaining two conveyor belts to operations in July.
Customers and port authorities have since commended the development, while the terminal was focused on moving an increased volume of cargo.
The Richards Bay Bulk Terminal is located in one of South Africa’s major bulk ports and handles more than 20 different commodities, ranging from magnetite, chrome and coal to sulphur, alumina and vermiculite.
