Port of Walvis Bay important to keep SADC mining alive

Floris Steenkamp

The port of Walvis Bay’s hopes are high to grow its role beyond being an export hub for mining commodities from Southern Africa. Namport hopes to grow the port’s business for the import of commodities to keep the Region’s mining industries going.
This is evident in the first test run to import via the port of Walvis Bay petroleum coke (PET-COKE) to Zambia. PETCOKE is manufactured from left-over heavy crude oil that is unusable after the petroleum refining process and is used mainly as a heating agent in the metals manufacturing industry.
In Zambia, which accounts for 70 % of Africa’s copper ex-ports, PETCOKE is used in the production of heat necessary for copper blister production and also for electrolytic refining to manufacture copper graded for electronics manufacturing.
In a statement over the weekend Namport explained the consignment was received from the United States of America and will be packed over a ten days period in a format required for road transportation to Zambia.
Apart from show-casing Namport’s growing importance for the import of plant and materials to keep industries going in Southern Africa, the Acting CEO of Namport Mr Immanuel !Hanabeb also explained it is testimony to Namport’s fostering of relations with inter-national markets. He said although this import of PETCOKE is regarded a trial-run, expressed confidence this would become a permanent arrangement.