A R1.2-million deal has been signed between the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) and ALE Heavylift South Africa, a heavy transport and lifting services company, for the storage of abnormal cargo in the Coega Industrial Development Zone’s (IDZ) new lay-down area.

The company is the first project tenant that will operate from and make use of the R9 million facility. The 12 hectare abnormal cargo storage site, located on the boundary between the Port of Ngqura and the Coega IDZ, will be used as a temporary storage site for wind turbines that will be transported to the Amakhala wind-farm project near Bedford.

“From this month (April) until November this year, nine vessels will offload 56 wind turbines at the Port of Ngqura and the Coega IDZ for the Amakhala Project located near Bedford in the Eastern Cape,” said Linda Sityoshwana, CDC’s trade solutions project manager. The eight-month contract has an R 1.2 million value for CDC.

“The first vessel docked at the Port of Ngqura on Wednesday, April 22 and the wind turbine components have already been stored at the lay-down area as from Thursday, April 23.

“ALE Heavylift South Africa will occupy two hectares of land and will have an option to expand the land area with an additional 1.4 hectares at the peak of the project,” she said.

According Sityoshwana, skilled and unskilled labour will be sourced from the Eastern Cape and around 45 jobs will be created.