APM begins operations at Coega

Global depot and port terminal operators APM Terminals officially launched operations in the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) on Sunday‚ establishing a full service depot to meet the needs of shipping lines and cargo owners.

By Mark Allix

12 Sep 2012

The R25m investment will cater for dry and refrigerated containers‚ providing repairs‚ handling‚ storage‚ monitoring and container conversion.

APM Terminals is a subsidiary of the APMM Group based in Denmark. It launched operations in SA in 2000‚ opening a depot in Cape Town‚ and later in Durban‚ Johannesburg‚ Pretoria and Walvis Bay in Namibia.

The company will use the Coega IDZ to expand into Africa.

"A Nelson Mandela Bay depot has always been part of our plan. We were just waiting for the Port of Ngqura to be fully operational and shipping lines to show commitment to use this port before we embarked in a depot investment in the Coega IDZ‚" Imtiaz Mahomed-Ally‚ APM Terminals chief operations officer‚ said.

Ayanda Vilakazi‚ Coega Development Corporation head of marketing and communications‚ said the link between the port and IDZ offered a "seamless interconnection".

Mahomed-Ally said APM Terminals was busy looking at establishing a depot in Mozambique's port of Beira.

"We are here to stay and expand our foot print in depot operations in southern Africa‚" he said.