3 minute read
Africa Viewpoint
A TEMPLATE FOR GREEN MANAGEMENT
The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has developed an management plan template for environmental clearance certifications for cargo and vessel operations, writes Shem Oirere
Namport, the State enterprise that manages the ports of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz in Namibiaat, commissioned the environmental management plans (EMPs), developed separately for each port by Geo Pollution Technologies (Pty) Ltd, to “provide management options to ensure environmental impacts of the ports are minimised.”
The EMPs initiative is also an attempt by Namport to effectively regulate vessels and logistics operations at the two ports and ensure they are in conformity with international standards for eradication of emissions and safeguarding the marine environment.
EMISSIONS TOOL
“The EMPs are thus a tool used to take pro-active action by addressing potential problems before they occur hence limiting potential future corrective measures that may need to be implemented and allows for the application of mitigation measures for unavoidable impacts,” says Namport in its 2019 annual report.
Compliance with the EMP provisions is equivalent to meeting all the provisions in Namibia's Environmental Management Act (Act No 7 of 2007) that paves way for issuance of an environmental clearance certificate.
Strengthening of the environmental credentials of the Luderitz and Walvis Bay ports comes at a time when the two gateways have reported an increase in cargo throughput creating demand for expansion to accommodate the additional volumes and larger vessels that in turn could translate to an increase in emissions from the operations of the two ports.
For example, the port of Walvis, located at the west coast of Africa and considered the easiest and much faster transit route between Southern Africa, Europe and America, was for a long time operating at full capacity until the construction of the expansion of the Walvis Bay container terminal project that eased the pressure on the gateway.
This expansion of the container terminal, which commenced in 2014 and completed in third quarter of 2019, addresses the congestion at the Walvis Bay and improves the efficiency of cargo transportation and vessel turnaround time. Handling capacity has increased from 350,000 twenty-foot teu to 750,000 teu annually.
LOGISTICS HUBS
At the Port of Lüderitz, cargo volumes increased from 600,000 tonnes per annum in 2017 to more than 800,000 tonness in 2019, a trend that is likely to continue in the short and medium period and which has been captured in the country's Harambee Prosperity Plan.
“In recent times, the Trans Oranje Corridor route that links the port of Lüderitz has experienced tremendous volume increment and thus the ideals of becoming a logistics hub are noticeable,” says Namport in the first quarter of 2020.
“The port has also recorded a significant increase in passenger vessel calls at the harbour town, which directly speaks to an increase in tourism activities with local taxis and tour bus operators tapping into these opportunities by transporting tourists to heritage sites around the town such as Kolmanskop and the ever-popular Diaz Point."
The EMPs for the two ports not only give an overview of the existing environment such as the physical, biological, social and economic conditions, but also outlines how the operations of the ports impacts these environmental aspects.
Moreover, the EMPs suggest a plan of action on the management of the adverse environmental impacts from the operations of the ports to ensure compliance with international targets.
Going forward, Namport's commitment is to build on the previously acquired ISO certifications and strict observance of its requirements as it travels “on a journey to streamline its processes, improving effectiveness and efficiency and to reduce its impact on the sea, the air and the land.”
8 Lüderitz has a new
