THE Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has kicked off its plan for port infrastructure improvement in its Lake Nyasa terminals.
The Authority is keen to strengthen marine transport in the third largest and second deepest Lake in Africa.
In implementing the plan, the Authority has engaged Royal Haskoning DHV from Netherlands to carry out a feasibility study on how it should improve its terminals.
Currently TPA has a total of 15 official ports in Lake Nyasa but majority of them operate as shorelines due to lack of proper infrastructures.
But Lake Nyasa Ports Manager, Mr Abed Gallus said here the Authority was implementing two infrastructure projects that involved the construction of port infrastructures of Ndumbi terminal in Nyasa District, Ruvuma Region and expansion of Kiwira Port in Kyela District, Mbeya Region.
On Ndumbi Port project, Mr Gallus said TPA has started constructing a permanent berth to enable cargo ships dock and undock comfortably, including facilitating loading and unloading of cargo.
Other infrastructures to be built at Ndumbi Port include a jetty, ramp, open storage area with a hard surface measuring 9,000 square metres for keeping cargo, fence, office block and a staff house.
China Henan International Corporation Group (CHICO) is undertaking the 12.25bn/-project which is expected to be implemented in 22 months.
According to Mr Gallus, the decision to upgrade port infrastructures at Ndumbi terminal was necessitated by the good flow of cargo, especially coal and cement.
“We made the decision to upgrade port infrastructures at Ndumbi terminal after we experienced difficulties in handling various types of cargo, especially in loading coal being ferried from Ruvuma Region to Mbeya and unloading cement from Mbeya Region to various destinations in Ruvuma and Njombe regions,” he clarified.
The Ndumbi Port is one of the major terminals in Lake Nyasa as it handles over 90 per cent of all cargo handled by TPA in the zone.
All necessary equipment such heavy lifting machine and weighing machine have been availed at the port. Another project which is divided into two segments, according to Mr Gallus, is the expansion of Kiwira port, a terminal which is strategically upgraded to handle cargo.
The first segment of the project involves the construction of an open storage area with a hard surface, measuring 11,000 square metres at the cost of 2.45bn/-. The area can keep up to 15,000 tonnes of coal at once. The project is expected to be completed next month.
The construction of the storage area by Dar es Salaam-based Pioneer Builders Company, will enable TPA to reduce the time spent by ships at the port for trucks to collect cargo.
“Currently cargo ships that arrive at Kiwira port are forced to wait for trucks to arrive before we start offloading the consignment. But when the construction of the open storage area is completed such cargo will be offloaded and then kept in the area while waiting for owners to bring trucks,” he said.
The second segment of the project involves the construction of two ramps to facilitate quick cargo loading and unloading, an office building and a canteen.
The decision to construct two ramps is necessitated by the objective of serving more than one ship.
Previously the terminal had only one jetty, a factor that caused TPA to serve only one ship.
The Ports manager asked Tanzanians in the three regions and the neighboring countries to make use of the infrastructure as marine transport was less costly, quick and safe than road transport.
Mr Gallus extended his appreciation to President John Magufuli’s government and TPA management for taking such an affirmative action to revive marine transport in Lake Nyasa.
