The Richards Bay Coal Terminal handles bulk exports for the likes of Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Xstrata, Exxaro and Glencore and is operating at a very high capacity as a result of this. Smaller companies are not seen as a priority at the terminal which has prompted Transnet to start planning its own coal terminal at Richards Bay to accommodate the smaller companies and provide the much needed boost in capacity.

The estimations are that the new terminal would be able to export 14 million tonnes annually, with the room to expand to 32 million.

Should construction be approved by the Transnet Board, the terminal could begin export operations midway through 2020.

Transnet’s Richards Bay port expansion projects programme director Sudesh Maharaj was quoted recently saying that the new terminal would be developed alongside an expansion of the port’s general freight terminals, “which are operating at near full capacity of 24 million tonnes a year.”