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THE Coega Development Corporation (CDC) announced that it has signed a six-month contract to transport blades, hubs and nacelles that used for wind turbines to Noupoort Wind Farm.

Coega established the 12 hectares laydown area, in Zone 1 of the Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), as a temporary storage site for abnormal cargo, in January this year. To date, 440 wind turbine components have already been stored within the platform.

This new six month project falls in the ambit of ALE Heavylift South Africa, a heavy transport and lifting services company.

In April 2015 Coega signed an agreement with the Makhala Project and ALE Heavylift SA for storage of abnormal cargo in the laydown area. ALE is the first project tenant to operate from the Coega IDZ R9-million laydown area.

“The demand for the use of the laydown area has been in line with our forecast,” said Linda Sityoshwana, CDC’s Trade Solutions Project Manager.

The blades, hubs and nacelles will enter South Africa through the Port of Ngqura, and be stored temporarily within the Coega IDZ Laydown Area and transported via the N10 to its final destination in Nouport. The Port of Ngqura has been positioned as a transshipment hub connecting the west and east trade.

“The contract is for six months, the length of time it takes to transport between 300 and 400 components,” Sityoshwana said.

The development of the laydown area has two phases.

“Phase One of the project, include establishing a multi-user facility for abnormal and out-of-gauge cargo storage, such as components for renewable energy manufacturing enterprises in the IDZ. Phase Two, which is expected to be undertaken during the 2015/16 financial year, is to be declared a customs controlled area (CCA). This will mean that users of the laydown area will benefit from the duty and VAT incentives available within the CCA. Zone 2 of the Coega IDZ is already a designated CCA,” she said.

Other plans to further develop the laydown area in place, which include developing a hub for maritime economic activity, in line with the Operation Phakisa programmes.
The lay down area will allow tenants to move cargo between the port of Ngqura and IDZ, within an allocated space through a dedicated entrance, reducing heavy traffic on the main entrance route to the port of Ngqura.

Issued by The Coega Development Corporation