The Durban Container Terminals (DCT) has announced that it will take delivery of more than 100 pieces of new cargo handling equipment over the course of this year.

The equipment, which includes 20 straddle carriers for the Pier 2 terminal and nine rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes for the Pier 1 terminal, began arriving in December last year and deliveries are expected to continue until the end of May.

As part of its recovery plan, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has invested R3.4-billion this year to boost its fleet, with DCT getting the lion’s share.

“Our recovery hinges on directly addressing the challenges that led to the decline in our performance, hence investment in infrastructure is at the core of our plans. Investments such as this one lay the foundation for a more efficient and dependable Transnet. These investments underscore our commitment to take the necessary steps to ensure well-functioning port infrastructure system.

“Recognising that collaboration is a vital cog in our operational environment, we appreciate partnership opportunities to collaborate with the private sector in the overall upgrade of ports infrastructure,” Transnet chairperson Andile Sangqu said on February 27, in Durban.

Additional equipment at DCT this year includes four ship-to-shore cranes for the South quay, 40 haulers and 67 trailers, with arrivals scheduled from April until December.

“The arrival of the straddle carriers and RTG cranes . . . is part of a bigger rollout plan to enhance the operational capabilities of our container terminals. In 2026, the Port Elizabeth Container Terminal will take delivery of 12 straddle carriers, while Cape Town will receive 28 RTGs and straddle carriers,” Transnet CEO Michelle Phillips said.

She noted that Transnet had opted for diesel electric hybrids, with the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency, in an effort to reduce the State-owned entity’s carbon footprint.

“The equipment we have on hand is not only sustainable, but it also has higher stacking capacity than any of the models before 2025,” Phillips said.

TPT executives have presented the company’s capital investment plans to industry at several industry engagements over the past two years in an effort to assure its customers.

Last year, DCT Pier 2 took delivery of 20 haulers, two reach stackers, one empty container handler, 10 trailers, two forklifts and eight straddle carriers.

Other initiatives under way aimed at recovery include a robust maintenance regime on the existing fleet, an original equipment manufacturer strategy that has facilitated the swift arrival of spares to improve the reliability and availability of equipment following National Treasury approval, and the addition of a fourth shift for the 24-hour operation.

There have also been several initiatives aimed at making the terminal more fluid, including dedicated channels for the evacuation of import containers as well as stacking of export containers four–high to create capacity on the landside.

In the 2023/24 financial year, DCT Pier 2 handled 1.7-million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while DCT Pier 1 processed 650 000 TEUs, representing a combined 60% of South Africa’s container volumes.

TPT’s capital spend this year also includes its other terminals in Richards Bay, East London, Cape Town, Gqeberha and Saldanha Bay.