The shipbuilding industry is set to lose a €300 million (R2.8 billion) order to build between 12 and 15 offshore supply vessels because Durban's shipyard could be engulfed by Transnet's plans to build a new container terminal.
Prasheen Maharaj, the chief financial officer of Southern African Shipyards, said yesterday: "We are close to signing an order to supply 12 to 15 vessels to be built over six to seven years … But we cannot take the orders because of uncertainty around the shipyard."
Transnet has proposed building a new container terminal at the southern side of the Durban port, which would quadruple the harbour's container handling capacity.
Another business that might be affected is Elgin Brown & Hamer, which repairs ships. The company declined to comment.
National Ports Authority spokesperson Jyothi Naidoo said recently: "If the proposed development does not take place, Durban's port would run out of container handling capacity by 2010 at current growth rates."
The port handled 2.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (teus) last year, up 18 percent on 2005.
A new container facility, Pier One, opens this month and by the end of the year will be able to handle 720 000 teus annually.
The public consultation process has already begun and construction of the proposed terminal, if given the green light from environmental authorities, could start in 2010.
A briefing document on the plan issued by Transnet and Common Ground, which is running the public consultation process for the transport parastatal, said 1 254 container vessels visited Durban every year. Along with 800 multipurpose vessels and 600 bunker vessels, they spent R5.9 billion annually.
Huge growth in container handling capacity is expected over the next 15 to 30 years. By 2020 the port will be handling 5.3 million teus a year and by 2050 it will handle 8 million teus annually.
Prasheen Maharaj, the chief financial officer of Southern African Shipyards, said yesterday: "We are close to signing an order to supply 12 to 15 vessels to be built over six to seven years … But we cannot take the orders because of uncertainty around the shipyard."
Transnet has proposed building a new container terminal at the southern side of the Durban port, which would quadruple the harbour's container handling capacity.
Another business that might be affected is Elgin Brown & Hamer, which repairs ships. The company declined to comment.
National Ports Authority spokesperson Jyothi Naidoo said recently: "If the proposed development does not take place, Durban's port would run out of container handling capacity by 2010 at current growth rates."
The port handled 2.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (teus) last year, up 18 percent on 2005.
A new container facility, Pier One, opens this month and by the end of the year will be able to handle 720 000 teus annually.
The public consultation process has already begun and construction of the proposed terminal, if given the green light from environmental authorities, could start in 2010.
A briefing document on the plan issued by Transnet and Common Ground, which is running the public consultation process for the transport parastatal, said 1 254 container vessels visited Durban every year. Along with 800 multipurpose vessels and 600 bunker vessels, they spent R5.9 billion annually.
Huge growth in container handling capacity is expected over the next 15 to 30 years. By 2020 the port will be handling 5.3 million teus a year and by 2050 it will handle 8 million teus annually.