South Africa's Richards Bay Coal Terminal has expanded its export capacity to 76 million mt/year effective January 1, 2008 to accommodate more blackowned mining companies, although the terminal was able to export only 66.15 million mt in the twelve months to December 31, 2007.
The terminal's capacity is set to grow to 91 million mt/year in the first half of 2009 with its phase five expansion. Its capacity in 2007 was 72 million mt/year.
Kuseni Dlamini, executive chairman of RBCT, said in a company statement issued Friday: "The increase to 76 million mt/year further cements our leadership position as the single largest coal export terminal in the world. This is firmly in line with our transformation strategy aimed at increasing BEE coal exporters' access to the global coal market and, above all, contributing to South Africa's growth and development."
The terminal's export performance in 2007 suffered from low coal railings and other factors outside of its control, RBCT said in a statement. These factors included bad weather, a number of coal train derailments and a lightning strike that knocked out an electricity substation serving the RBCT rail line last November.
The terminal received 64.7 million mt of coal by rail in 2007, compared with 66.35 million mt in 2006.
Commenting on this, Dlamini said the fact that RBCT exported more coal than it received was "a clear sign of the world class nature of RBCT's operational efficiencies."
RBCT confirmed in its statement that its stocks at the end of December 31, 2007 stood at 1.16 million mt. It said that the partial closure of the Richards Bay line for five days of maintenance in December affected stock levels.
The terminal's capacity is set to grow to 91 million mt/year in the first half of 2009 with its phase five expansion. Its capacity in 2007 was 72 million mt/year.
Kuseni Dlamini, executive chairman of RBCT, said in a company statement issued Friday: "The increase to 76 million mt/year further cements our leadership position as the single largest coal export terminal in the world. This is firmly in line with our transformation strategy aimed at increasing BEE coal exporters' access to the global coal market and, above all, contributing to South Africa's growth and development."
The terminal's export performance in 2007 suffered from low coal railings and other factors outside of its control, RBCT said in a statement. These factors included bad weather, a number of coal train derailments and a lightning strike that knocked out an electricity substation serving the RBCT rail line last November.
The terminal received 64.7 million mt of coal by rail in 2007, compared with 66.35 million mt in 2006.
Commenting on this, Dlamini said the fact that RBCT exported more coal than it received was "a clear sign of the world class nature of RBCT's operational efficiencies."
RBCT confirmed in its statement that its stocks at the end of December 31, 2007 stood at 1.16 million mt. It said that the partial closure of the Richards Bay line for five days of maintenance in December affected stock levels.
