A delay in private repairs to the hospital ship AFRICA MERCY has caused a two-and-a-half week adjustment of timelines for Transnet National Ports Authority’s R30 million repair project at the Prince Edward Graving Dry Dock in Durban.

1. Media Release
Private Ship Repair Moves Dry Dock Timelines
[Durban, South Africa, 31 August 2015] A delay in private repairs to the hospital ship AFRICA
MERCY has caused a two-and-a-half week adjustment of timelines for Transnet National Ports Authority’s
R30 million repair project at the Prince Edward Graving Dry Dock in Durban.
The facility was due to be non-operational for two months over August and September. However private ship
repair company, Dormac Marine and Engineering, discovered additional work was required on the AFRICA
MERCY’s shaft during a routine repair and survey exercise at the TNPA-owned dry dock. Parts had to be
sourced from overseas and the vessel departed from the dock on 18 August instead of 31 July.
The two-month non-operational period at the dock has now been adjusted to start from 19 August – when
appointed contractor Channel Construction took full occupation of the dock – to 20 October. The expected
completion date of the caisson repair project has also moved from November to mid-December.
Durban port manager Moshe Motlohi said: “This was an unforeseen delay, however we remain committed to
adhering to the adjusted project schedule for our caisson repair and are working to minimise any further
impact on the ship repair industry.”
The 90-year old Durban dry dock is undergoing the third and final phase of a comprehensive repair
programme on its 35 metre long, 900 ton steel caisson which was deemed unsafe and in need of repair.
Channel Construction is working alongside managing contractor, Sebata Group, which is overseeing the
caisson repair project, with technical expertise and quality assurance provided by a team including KwaZulu-
Natal’s only naval architecture firm, Naval Africa.
The company is working 24 hour shifts with the majority of the work being carried out offsite at the
contractor’s Bayhead workshop. Work includes demolition and waste disposal, structural repair, welding,
modification and replacement of structural members and plates, design and fabrication certification,
commissioning and final handover.
The outer caisson repair project forms part of TNPA’s large-scale repair programme for the dry dock. The
authority has accelerated planned refurbishments of existing ship repair facilities at its ports in line with the
1

2. South African government’s Operation Phakisa initiative which aims to unlock the economic potential of
South Africa’s oceans. Under Transnet’s Market Demand Strategy, the plans are a key aspect of TNPA’s
R35 billion-plus investments into port infrastructure, capacity and maintenance over seven years ending
2019.
-END-
Note to Editors:
Designed during the 1920s, the Prince Edward Graving Dry Dock has two caissons in place. The 35 metre
long, 900 ton outer caisson forms a gate at the entrance between the sea water and the dry dock, while a
second caisson in the middle divides the dock into two compartments that can accommodate more than one
ship.
TNPA opted to decommission and move the defective outer caisson to the back of the dry dock and to use
the inner caisson in its place at the dock entrance. This allowed the dry dock to remain operational while the
authority assessed and carried out preparatory work on the outer caisson. Although the available length of
the 352 metre long and 12.5 metre deep dry dock had been reduced during this period, it had still been able
to accommodate more than one vessel simultaneously.
Image Gallery
[Below]: Due to a delay on a private ship repair at the Durban Dry Dock, TNPA has adjusted the project
schedule for repairs on the facility’s 35 metre long, 900 ton outer caisson by 18 days.
Issued by: Ayanda Mantshongo
2

3. Corporate Affairs Manager
Port of Durban
Transnet National Ports Authority
Tel: 031 361 8527
0711095434
ayanda.mantshongo@transnet.net
On behalf of:
Moshe Motlohi
Port Manager
Port of Durban
Transnet National Ports Authority
moshe.motlohi@transnet.net
3