Historic dry dock gets a modern touch
Robinson Dry Dock recommissioned
SOUTH AFRICA: The Robinson Dry Dock in the Port of Cape Town has welcomed its first vessel after a year-long decommissioning that was used to undertake the installation and upgrade of a new dewatering system.
Celebrating the milestone in Cape Town yesterday, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) hosted a small gathering of stakeholders from the project as well as ship repairers where the importance of the sector to the region was emphasised.
Speaking at the function, Acting Harbour Master at the Port of Cape Town, Yael Wearley, said that the authority was committed to providing facilities and best practice to inform the establishment of a marine engineering hub in the port. She added that projects such as this would ensure that the sector was able to remain globally competitive.
Patrick Kammerman, the current chair of the Ship Repairers Association, noted the recommissioning of the dock and the new dewatering system as a significant achievement under Operation Phakisa, but also emphasised the need to pursue the outstanding items required to fulfil the strategic plan to replace and repair the caissons, capstans and cranes at other port facilities.
“The industry cannot survive without access to the dry docks and we are wholly dependent on the facilities that the TNPA provides,” he said
Port Manager, Rajesh Dana agreed as he highlighted the ability of the sector to create employment, relieve poverty and improve skills. Acknowledging the role of the sector in Cape Town, he said that positioning the port as a global maritime supplier, ship repair provided a “unique value add”.
“The Port of Cape Town ship repair sector has the ability to become the hub of maritime engineering in Southern Africa, if not in the southern hemisphere,” he said adding that this would take strategic investment in infrastructure, people and systems.
A major technical milestone
Reminding guests of the long history of the Robinson Dry Dock that dates back to 1888, Erwin Skeepers, Executive Manager for Ship Repair at TNPA highlighted the significance of the project as well as the unique place that the dock holds internationally.
The Robinson Dry Dock is the only cobblestone dry dock that remains operational in the world – making it more than just a hole in the ground or even an asset to the ship repair sector.
Project Manager, Deepthi John, who joined TNPA as an engineer in 2016, took guests through the scope of the work that included the replacement of seven major systems aimed at improving efficiencies, reducing maintenance costs, providing of sustainable infrastructure, increasing reliability, reducing operational costs and increasing the life span of the pumphouse dewatering system.
The seven systems that she highlighted included:
- The main dewatering system
- The drainage pumps
- The seepage pump
- The pumphouse access and maintenance platforms
- The culvert valves
- The electrical pump plant
- The control system
She added that the dockyard staff had all been trained on the new systems which provided a much more seamless as well as modernised operation for clients.
Noting all the contractors and sub-contractors involved in the project, Dana said that it was an opportunity to celebrate the success of collaboration and partnerships between the port, the stakeholders and the contractors.
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