In addition, due to Saldanha having South Africa's largest natural anchorage port with the deepest water, the terminal is also where the first deliveries of iron ore were exported on the vessel Fern Sea during September 1976.
Key TPT stakeholders, local and regional management gathered at the Saldanha Terminal to celebrate this momentous milestone and acknowledge the amount of hard work and dedication taken to achieve this record. “TPT is constantly looking to expand and strengthen our operations so reaching such a large milestone is very significant for the company as a whole. We are delighted with the success of the terminal and commitment that has been shown by the Saldanha TPT staff and management team that has seen us go from the terminal’s total handling capacity increasing gradually from 18,000,000 per annum in 1976 to where we are today at 60,000,000mt per annum – an increase of 233%,” stated Robert Van Rooyen, TPT Saldanha terminal manager.
Mineral cargo represents the biggest market for Transnet Port Terminals who is a key player in the success of the sector. To support the South African economy and the world trends as well as the growth of emerging miners, Transnet Port Terminals have committed to investments that have included the purchase of sophisticated bulk handling equipment as part of Transnet’s seven year Market Demand Strategy (MDS) implemented in 2012.
As part of the MDS roll-out, R5,5 billion was earmarked for the expansion of the Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal. “We don’t intend on slowing down and are focused on continuing to increase volumes and improve efficiencies so that we maintain our efforts to contribute to the Western Cape region and the country’s economy as a whole,” concluded van Rooyen.
