Page 79 - SAPREF 50 year

equipment to be built amongst operating plant, and tied into existing plant during shutdowns. This scope includes modifications to CD2, major distillation equipment changes on CD3, a new reactor for HDS4 and upgrades to compressors, and building a new Platformate splitter.”
In September 2013, the project was in
the DEFINE stage, and Fluor was carrying out engineering to a level that a detailed cost estimate could be performed. The project is expected to achieve final approval by Q1 2014.
During the construction phase, there will be in excess of 1000 contractors on site, and the employment of local labour will be maximised as far as possible. Once the plant is operational, additional full-time jobs created will mainly be limited to operators and laboratory assistants. The intention of the project is to maximise local spend where feasible. The total cost of the project is still being estimated but it is likely to cost several billion Rand.
Durban Dig-out Port
SAPREF is currently co-operating with Transnet in the early stages of planning and pre-feasibility studies for the Durban Dig-
out Port (DDOP) project, which is part of the second Strategic Integrated Projects that the government has committed to, in response to infrastructure gaps in the country.
The proposed location of the DDOP is the old Durban International Airport site adjacent to SAPREF, with the preferred port entrance being to the south of the refinery site. SAPREF will be impacted by the development of the DDOP in various ways.
Explains Calum Love, Marine Manager, “Firstly, the proposed breakwater and entrance channel are in the vicinity of the current SBM position and the dredging for the entrance crosses the existing sub-sea crude oil pipeline. The SBM and sub-sea pipeline therefore will need to be relocated and commissioned before the port entrance construction can start.
“Secondly, the refinery facilities and infrastructure on Refinery Road and around the SAPREF security checkpoint are in the way of the proposed port entrance channel and therefore SAPREF will need to relinquish this land to make way for the port development. The facilities and infrastructure will need
to be relocated before the port entrance construction can start.”
impacted in early 2016 when the port dredging is scheduled to start. Phase 1 of the DDOP is planned to be operational by 2020.
It is estimated that 70 million cubic metres of material will have to be removed from the 800-hectare site. Transnet’s vision for 2050 shows the new port will include
a four-berth liquid bulk-handling terminal and a five-berth automotive terminal. The DDOP is expected to have an eventual
16 container-ship berths with a capacity
of about 9,5million TEUs (twenty foot equivalents). The estimated cost of the first phase is R50billion.
By 2013, Transnet had bought most
of the site from the Airports Company of South Africa, funding models were being considered, and environmental and technical studies were being done. Exploratory drilling was also taking place.
This is what the dig-out port next to SAPREF could look like by 2050.
The old Durban International Airport site in the foreground, with SAPREF in the background.
Most likely, SAPREF’s facilities will be
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