TNPA allocates R98m for floating caisson at Sturrock Dry Dock
Following discussions among the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT), Wesgro, industry and strategic partners with Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA), a R98m floating caisson will be constructed for the Sturrock Dry Dock in the Port of Cape Town. The new caisson forms part of a multi-million-rand overhaul of the port’s ship repair facilities over a three-year period (2019-2022) under South Africa’s Operation Phakisa Programme, which has identified ship building and repairs as a strategic industry for the port. A caisson - which is a large steel gate structure that acts as a secondary seal and subdivides the dock and allows for simultaneous docking of multiple commercial vessels within the facility - is expected to double the productivity of Sturrock. South Africa ranks among the world’s top 15 shipping nations, based on the tonnage transported to and from its ports, with three of the eight major commercial ports based in the Western Cape. Further to this, th