Severe weather conditions impacted operational activities at the Cape Town Container Terminal to the point where they caused extensive service interruptions in July 2024.
Strong winds exceeding 35 to 50 knots combined with sea swells surpassing 3.5 meters caused Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to order port shipping movements stopped at South African ports including Cape Town Saldanha and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Ngqura because of safety risks.
Three vessels at the Cape Town Container Terminal remained unable to operate because high swells stopped all terminal activities. The operational difficulty intensified because four more ships were expected to arrive by Thursday.
TNPA marine operations maintained constant readiness to provide support to vessels while they emphasized that normal port operations would start when wind speeds and swell heights decreased.
The extreme weather conditions generated negative effects across different harbour facilities. The Ngqura Container Terminal in Gqeberha completed all its vessel operations before dawn on Sunday before port authorities made the decision to stop vessel berthing until Wednesday which resulted in terminal gates being completely shut. Weather conditions stopped operations at the Port Elizabeth Container Terminal because only one vessel was stuck at the berth.
These disruptions exacerbated existing challenges. Transnet faced port backlogs before the severe weather soiled their operation because they had not adequately invested to maintain their equipment. Operations at the terminals were suspended because of weather which created additional delays for backlog clearance thus impacting regional logistics operations.
The situation pushed Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) to state their confidence in handling the accumulated vessel delays. New cargo-handling equipment acquisitions through recent purchases at multiple terminals received support from original equipment manufacturers who handled maintenance and repairs through contracts. During the adverse conditions, the TNPA reaffirmed its dedication to protecting port infrastructure and employee safety while confirming that no significant incidents occurred.
The South African Weather Service warned about severe weather conditions in which Western Cape and coastal areas faced destructive rainstorms combined with violent gusts that produced damaging waves. Weather forecasts indicated that maritime operations would face ongoing adverse effects because the situation was expected to continue.
TNPA kept all industry stakeholders informed about the developments in port operations alongside the safety protocols that were implemented. All vessel operations stayed stopped until weather conditions became safe enough to secure maritime personnel’s safety and infrastructure stability.
The severe weather conditions across South African ports during July 2024 created major operational difficulties for the Cape Town Container Terminal and other seaports in the country.
The strong wind currents together with high waves led to shipping activity restrictions which increased existing delivery shortages. The proactive steps and continuous assessments performed by Transnet prevented further risks to maritime personnel and infrastructure and worked toward operational safety upon weather conditions becoming suitable for restarts.
