Improving port access and overall efficiency

Current capital projects by the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) involve the construction of a new main gate complex for the Port of Walvis Bay, with five ingoing lanes and four outgoing lanes, to enhance the flow of vehicles and alleviate congestion.According to the Namport 2023 Integrated Annual Report, the new main entrance gate at the port will feature a fully automated gate operation system, improving overall efficiency. Additionally, a cargo pre-clearing system and truck staging area will be developed to ensure seamless movement of trucks in and out of the port.The project is being completed in phases, and the following milestones were achieved in 2023. A new level crossing and traffic intersection on 15th Road and Railway Street were completed. The aim is to eventually close the road over the rail level crossing at Rikumbi Kandanga Road to make way for the new entrance gate.The contract and commenced construction for the gate’s building works project have been awarded. Future construction projects include the truck staging area, road works between the staging area and the new entrance gate, power supply and lighting, and converting the main gate into an exit gate.The Walvis Bay Marina development aims to prepare the marina development for operationalisation by providing essential municipal services such as water, sewerage, electricity, and roads. Construction of services commenced in 2023 and will be completed in 2024. Land plots at the marina are also available for lease to interested parties, with several applications having been received by year-end 2023.The installation of a berth 1 to 8 firefighting pipeline at the Port of Walvis Bay involves replacing the seawater firefighting pipeline for berth 1 to 8, as the existing pipeline has reached its design lifespan. The project has also been divided into phases: berth 1 to 3 and berth 4 to 8 pipeline. Phase 1 of the project (berth 4 to 8) has been completed, and the procurement stage for berth 1 to 3 is underway.Major maintenance projectsThe following major maintenance activities took place in 2023.Namport owns and operates three lighthouses in Namibia. Each of these lighthouses undergoes minor and major refurbishment every three to five years.The Swakopmund and Diaz Point lighthouses were refurbished in the last five years. The next in line is the Pelican Point lighthouse, located on the Pelican Peninsula in Walvis Bay. The procurement process for this work was completed in 2023, with the refurbishment work scheduled to be completed in the 2024 financial year.All quay walls, jetties, and berths quay walls and jetties are important core infrastructure in the Authority’s ports. These structures form what is referred to as the berths where vessels moor and cargo can be loaded and offloaded. This infrastructure is the most expensive in terms of capital and maintenance costs, especially when the structures are old, as is the case in the two ports.It is thus essential that independent condition surveys are carried out periodically to verify the conditions of these heavily utilised steel and concrete structures. The next condition survey is planned for the 2024 financial year.The berth 4 to 8 sheet pile retaining quay wall is the oldest structure in the Port of Walvis Bay and has been in service since it was commissioned in 1959. This quay wall has experienced sand losses through the sheetpile, causing sinkholes to form on the retained land behind the quay wall.To prevent the formation of sinkholes, an intensive monthly monitoring programme has been in place for the last five years. Sand levels are monitored, and sand filling is implemented when lower levels are recorded. Lower levels are associated with sand leaks through the wall caused by the deteriorating grout socks in between the individual concrete piles that form the sheet pile. Several new holes in the sheet pile were repaired, and sand filling was completed to restore sand levels behind the wall in 2023. – Source: Namport 2023 Integrated Annual Report

Improving port access and overall efficiency

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