Page 14 - DMEA Week 42 2021

DMEA TERMINALS & SHIPPING DMEA

South Africa’s Transnet probes

devastating fires at its ports

AFRICA A probe is underway to determine if fires at two to declare a force this year after a cyberattack in
major South African ports could have been the July also disrupted operations across the entire
work of saboteurs. South Africa’s monopoly port company and at key ports. This caused damage
operator Transnet said it had established a com- to Transnet’s equipment and information, which
mission of investigation and vowed to punish affected South Africa’s supply chains.
any “negligence.” Transnet said if any of the incidents were
The two fires, at the Richards Bay and Dur- found to be due to operational negligence
ban ports, caused disruptions in operations for on the part of an employee, “further action”
the state-owned logistics company and forced would be taken. In the statement Transnet said
the company to declare a force majeure. It said the Richards Bay fires had been contained and
in a statement it was engaging with its affected extinguished and it was working to minimise
customers and is in the process of putting the disruptions, with operations partially back on
necessary contingencies in place. track.
“The cause of the fire is still unknown and “In Richards Bay, significant progress has
a preliminary investigation is currently under- been made in restoring operations. Five of the
way. Expert assessors and investigators are onsite seven conveyor belts have been fully restored
establishing the extent of the damage,” Transnet and are back in operation,” Transnet said in a
said. statement. The ports and freight-rail company
Transnet’s port of Richards Bay, South Africa’s said it had deployed manual handling to make
premier bulk cargo port, has experienced three up for the remaining belts, in a bid to ensure con-
fires on its conveyor belts in the last three weeks. tinuity of operations.
But the latest fire, on Wednesday 13 October, was At Maydon Wharf Precinct, which has two
so extensive that Transnet had to declare a force conveyor belts for handling grain and wood
majeure at the Richards Bay Bulk Terminal. The chips, the fire occurred on the grain conveyor
company described the fire as enormous. belt after it had completed loading a grain vessel.
Another fire broke out at Durban’s Grain “The terminal is working around the clock to
Export Terminal at the Maydon Wharf precinct ensure that the belt is restored and back in oper-
as well that Transnet has had to deal with. ation by the time the next grain vessel arrives at
This is also the second time Transnet has had the Port on 26 October 2021,” Transnet said.™

Exxon considers scrapping Rovuma LNG

AFRICA FOLLOWING a reshuffle on its board of direc- the company’s ability to uphold pledges to reduce
tors, ExxonMobil is debating whether to con- emissions, the newspaper said.
tinue with several major oil and gas projects, Rovuma LNG is already facing a number of
including the $30bn Rovuma LNG initiative in obstacles. ExxonMobil said last year that it had
Mozambique, the Wall Street Journal reported decided to delay a final investment decision
on October 20. (FID) on the project, citing concerns about
The US-based super-major’s board now low global energy prices and the impact of
includes three members nominated by an activ- the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It is
ist stakeholder that has pushed for restricting not expected to take this step until 2022 at the
investment in fossil fuels in order to limit carbon earliest.
emissions and return more cash to shareholders. Moreover, the US giant could delay further
The stakeholder in question is Engine No. 1, an (or abandon the $30bn plan altogether) if secu-
activist investment fund formed earlier this year. rity problems in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique’s
Discussions on the Rovuma LNG project are northernmost, intensify or persist. TotalEner-
taking place within the framework of a review gies (France) suspended its own $20bn Mozam-
of ExxonMobil’s five-year spending plan. The bique LNG project earlier this year after a wave
company’s board is slated to vote on the plan at of attacks by Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jamo (ASWJ), an
the end of October. Islamist militant group, near the site where it has
The review is also targeting another multi-bil- begun construction on a gas liquefaction plant.
lion-dollar gas project in Vietnam, according to And like TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil has said it
WSJ’s sources. ExxonMobil is working to deter- will build an onshore processing facility in Cabo
mine how much carbon each project is expected Delgado to process gas from its offshore licence
to emit and how these projections might affect area.™

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