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RBCT boosted productivity and improved turnaround
COAL TO THE WORLD,
times after a 1.34 billion rand machinery upgrade
GROWTH TO THE NATION
which was completed in 2018.
Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), is a world class RBCT launched the project to replace its ageing
coal export terminal situated in the Port of Richards machines with the aim of sustaining the terminal’s
Bay. The terminal was opened in 1976 with an original 91 million tonne capacity, but the process has also
capacity of 12-million tons per annum (mt/a).
increased efficiencies, it said.
The terminal provides South Africa’s Coal Exporting “The project installed two new rail-mounted stacker
Parties (CEPs) with a world-class logistics service that reclaimers, which scoop up and transfer coal into
facilitates the export of coal. All RBCT’s operations and out of the yard and its rail-mounted shiploaders.
and administrative functions are conducted in They in turn transport coal along a conveyer into a
Richards Bay.
ship’s hold.
RBCT is positioned at one of the world’s deep-sea The two new reclaimers are expected to have a
ports and handles an average of 76 large ships per
month and large volumes of coal. The 276-hectare capacity of 6,000 tonnes per hour compared to the
site currently boasts a quay that is 2.2km long with six previous machines’ 4,500 tonnes per hour, while the
berths and four ship loaders, with a stockyard capacity shiploader will have 10,000 tonnes per hour capacity
of 8.2-million tons. compared with 8,000 tonnes per hour previously.
RBCT shares a strong cooperative relationship with The reclaimers have also cut the amount of bulldozing
South Africa’s national utility, Transnet, which provides needed after its coal-carrying arm was extended
the railway services linking the coal mines to the port, further into the coal yard from 40 metres to 60 metres,
and the shipping coordination of more than 900 ships said RBCT project general manager Bill Murphy.
per annum. “That means it has a longer reach and there is less
In 2018, the main export destination of the coal was bulldozing time. It increases the productivity at RBCT,”
Asia at 81.6%. Europe was the recipient of 10.1% of said Murphy.
the coal, Africa 8% and South America 0.3%. The project also reconfigured the terminal’s five existing
India was the biggest single country recipient electrical substations and added a new substation.
at 35.29-million tonnes followed by Pakistan RBCT spent only R1.25bn of the R1.34bn budgeted
at 9.37-million tonnes and then South Korea at for the project. The next steps will be to improve the
6.73-million tonnes.
capacity of the intermediate machinery through de-
RBCT CEO Alan Waller recently outlined the success bottlenecking, which could deliver another 2Mt to 4Mt
of Africa’s largest coal terminal to move coal in a safe, of efficiencies, allowing the terminal to minimise the
cost-effective and efficient manner. impact of weather delays.
The terminal received 27 trains a day against a capacity CSI PROJECTS
to receive 32 trains a day as part of its partnership RBCT focus remains on early childhood development
with Transnet Freight Rail, which Waller described as and education. Siqondimfundo Crèche was the biggest
one that “works very well”. project for 2018 where over R2.4 million was spent.

Full Name of the Company: Richards Bay Coal Terminal KEY PERSONNEL
(Pty) Ltd, CEO: Alan Waller
GM: Finance Casper Mbuyazi
Industry Sector: Transport GM: HSEC Zanele Mthiyane
Nature of Business: Coal handling and GM: HR Nontuthuko Mgabhi
transporting facility GM: Operations Jabu Mdaki
GM: Asset Management Kubendren Naidoo
Location: Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
CONTACT DETAILS
Date Established: 1976 Corporate Affairs
No. of Employees: 500 Tel: +27 (0)35 904 4911
E-mail: communications@rbct.co.za
BBBEE Status: BBBEE Level 3 Website: www.rbct.co.za
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