- Strong winds damage equipment at RBCT’s Berth 801
- Coal loading halted, repairs expected to take 14 days
Mysteel Global: Coal loading operations at Berth 801 of South Africa’s Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) were forced to halt after strong winds caused equipment damage. As a result, the port declared force majeure on 2 December.
According to a document issued by Transnet, the state-owned railway operator, the Mantakraft loader was shut down after destructive winds hit Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) at Richards Bay Harbour on November 29. The loader shutdown directly impacted the loading function of Berth 801, which is part of RBCT.
TPT Richards Bay Terminal is a branch of Transnet SOC Ltd., responsible for the import and export of multiple bulk cargoes, including ore, wood, and steel products. It operates 13 berths and is in the same port area as RBCT, which is privately owned and specialises in coal exports, Mysteel Global learns.
Damage assessment is currently underway. TPT estimates that restoration will take about 14 days. Once completed, the force majeure will be lifted, and the loader will resume operating, the document says.
The potential impact is that coal exports via Berth 801 will be temporarily halted. The declaration remains effective until further notice, it says.
RBCT serves as the largest gateway for South Africa’s coal exports. In 2024, some 52.08 million tonnes of coal were shipped through the terminal, about 25 million tonnes of which sailed to India, according to terminal data.
Note: This article has been written in accordance with a content exchange agreement between Mysteel Global and BigMint.
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