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Richards Bay Coal Terminal: Media Release 02/03/07
Media releases
04 January 2008
Richards Bay Coal Terminal slows Increasing Coal Exports Capacity
Richards Bay Coal Terminal has reached yet another important milestone in its history by increasing its design capacity for coal exports from 72 million tons per annum to 76 million tons per annum, effective 1 January 2008. The increase is part of the Phase V Expansion
project and is a clear indication that the Company’s expansion project is on track.
“The increase to 76 mtpa further cements our leadership position as the single largest coal export terminal in the world. A further increase in capacity to 91mtpa becomes effective in the first half of 2009,” said Kuseni Dlamini, Executive Chairman of RBCT.
Despite low levels of railings of coal during the year 2007, RBCT was able to export a total of 66.157 million tons for the year against a total of 64.7mta railed by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) in 2007. “The fact that we exported more coal than we received is a clear sign of the world class nature of RBCT’s operational efficiencies which underpin our reputation as the most efficiently run and reliable export coal terminal in the world”, added Dlamini. A number of factors outside of RBCT’s control attributed to last year’s exports, such as TFR’s derailments and the lightning incident to TFR’s power station, which resulted in delays.
RBCT received from TFR 66.35 mta of coal in 2006 compared to 64.7mta in 2007.
Bad weather conditions resulted in a series of Port closures, that consequently had an impact on RBCT’s coal exports.
Stock levels at December month- end were 1.16 million tons, partly due to TFR’s closure for 5 days during December 2007 to carry out maintenance work in the coal line.
RBCT is proud of its 76mta milestone, as it would enable South Africa’s export coal industry to advantage of the booming global export coal market. “This is firmly in line with our transformation strategy aimed at increasing BEE coal exporters’ access to the global coal market and, above all, contributing to South Africa’s growth and development”, noted Dlamini.
For any enquiries contact
Zama Luthuli
Richards Bay Coal Terminal
035 904 4045
083 399 3111