The upgrade, which will take place in three stages, is seen as a response to years of strife between shipping companies and port authorities over berthing delays caused by congestion. 

Tau Morwe, the CEO of Portnet's port operations division, acknowledged yesterday that the upgrade would cater for capacity requirements only over the next few years and that more work would be needed. The first part, due to start soon, is a R507m investment in three new quayside cranes and 20 straddle carriers, new equipment in the container terminal, and infrastructure improvements. 

This will raise capacity from 1,3-million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 1,6-million TEUs a year. In a joint statement yesterday, Morwe and port authority division CEO Siyabonga Gama said the upgrade supported the continued growth in container traffic to the port. Durban handles 65% of SA's container traffic and is rapidly approaching capacity. 

The second phase the R564,5m development of the Durban city terminal planned to begin in September will provide new deep-water quays and remodel existing infrastructure. The third phase, the R273m conversion of Pier 1 for container handling, involves both the conversion of infrastructure and the acquisition of new equipment.

The move adds another 325000 TEUs to the annual container handling capacity in Durban. 

Public Enterprises Minister Jeff Radebe could not say whether the project would meet the long-term needs of the container terminal, but said he was working with the trade and industry department in a bid to roll out infrastructure that grows the SA economy. 
Public enterprises ministry spokesman Fani Zulu said yesterday the upgrade had no bearing on the planned construction of a deep-water port at Coega in Eastern Cape.