A multi-use bagging facility in the port of Walvis Bay is expected to be operational soon, according to Philip Coetzee, general manager of Woker Freight services.Designed to capture a share of the million tons a year of sulphur and other chemicals used for copper processing in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the facility is expected to help reduce the road transport costs of the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor by providing back loads.Namport is transforming the former container berths in the port of Walvis Bay into bulk handling facilities.The new facility will be managed by Walvis Bay Stevedoring (WBS), which has its head office in the port.According to Ralph Ruiters, general manager of WBS, the planned multi-use facility will be capable of handling up to 90 000 tons of bulk cargo a month.This means that the port will be able to accommodate bulk vessels of up to 50 000 tons, where the current restriction is around 35 000 tons.Warehousing for the bulk product is available, and the project has the support of traders and hauliers operating on the corridor, according to Coetzee.
