https://newsletter.en.creamermedia.com
Africa|Business|Coal|Eskom|Export|Freight|Iron Ore|Logistics|Ports|Power|rail|Transnet
Africa|Business|Coal|Eskom|Export|Freight|Iron Ore|Logistics|Ports|Power|rail|Transnet
africa|business|coal|eskom|export|freight|iron-ore|logistics|ports|power|rail|transnet

South Africa needs coal and iron-ore rail lines to become competitive without delay

7th April 2023

By: Martin Creamer

Creamer Media Editor

     

Font size: - +

Worsening logistics constraints and rising electricity supply shortages have made South Africa a very difficult place in which to do business.

While electricity supply gets the big headlines, the railways also need huge attention. A good decision taken by Transnet was to concession the Johannesburg to Durban freight line and the National Treasury’s requirement for Eskom to do the same with some of the power stations so that the private sector can become involved.

To avoid the country losing hand-over-fist again in the future, the coal and iron-ore lines need to be concessioned as well. Trucking coal to foreign ports is absolute lunacy when the country has the award-winning and private-sector-owned Richards Bay Coal Terminal being forced to perform way below capacity because the State-owned Transnet is unable to deliver.

The options of trucking coal to alternative ports were neither sufficient nor optimal to make up for the loss in rail capacity. In addition, the alternative export channels came at a high cost, which companies were only able to withstand because coal export prices were high. But those days have already passed and the approach to arriving at a solution should be that they may never return.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Comments

Showroom

M and J Mining
M and J Mining

M and J Mining are leading suppliers of physical support systems as used by the underground mining industry. Our selection of products are not...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Victaulic
Victaulic

Since 1919, Victaulic’s innovative solutions and design services continue to increase construction productivity and reduce risk, ensuring projects...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Photo of Martin Creamer
On-The-Air (08/11/2024)
8th November 2024 By: Martin Creamer

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.092 0.187s - 172pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now