The shortage of technical skills, especially in the engineering environment, was highlighted by the International Investment Council which met recently in George. Reiterating their support for ASGISA (the Accelerated and Share Growth Initiative) and JIPSA (the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition), the members told ministers present that it was important to attract investment to South Africa.

The South African Oil and Gas Alliance is well aware of the need for properly trained people and has for more than a year been working on the Western Cape regional government for support of SAOGA's skills development project initiative. As we went to press the SAOGA had just received the funds it needs to enable it to launch this programme and over the next three years a minimum of 408 artisans will be trained to different levels of NQF acceptance.

Hooray! Work is finally about to start on upgrading the Cape Town container terminal to the tune of R4.2 Billion. Transnet National Port Authority called a meeting and the port engineer told a rather large room full of people exactly what would be happening over the next four years. The schedule is a little too tight for comfort and it is subject to change, but basically Plan B is now in action and instead of going out, they are going up! For now.

It's good news for the container shipping lines which has for a long time been concerned about the lack of infrastructure investment but as Ivan Heesom-Green, CEO of Safmarine Container Lines NV, points out, as happy as they are to see projects coming on stream, so too do they need to start planning with Transnet the next wave of investment.

SA Shipping News didn't get an invite, but luckily we have Brian Ingpen on board to bring us an account on page 7 of what is happening at the Saldanha Bay Fabrication Centre which was handed over to operators Grinaker-LTA in October. So far Grinaker-LTA has tendered for several projects and the first is likely to be finalised early next year.

There have been some interesting developments in the ship building industry. First is that the Smit Amandla Marine bunker barge built by Dormac in Durban, is to be officially named at the end of this month (rumour is that there is a second on order); and secondly, that SA Shipyards won the tender to build five tugs for Transnet National Ports Authority. The order is worth more than R400 million and is apparently the biggest order in shipbuilding ever placed in South Africa.

But that's not all. Cape catamaran builder, Robertson and Caine, is increasing its capacity five fold and has built a new boat yard in Atlantis; and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Department of Maritime Studies finally renamed its training vessel after spending a year touching her up.

Having a good attitude to work has paid dividends for a Cape-based BEE company which this year was selected as one of South Africa's top employers. Steve Nell who heads up Marine Data Solutions, told SA Shipping News that the staff are well looked after, in return they are 100% appreciative of the customer, and this makes all the difference.

To conclude a very busy year, the management and staff of George Warman Publications would like to thank you for your support and wish you a very pleasant festive season.
 

Editor

Cover Story

DCD-Dorbyl is logistically situated in a prime position in the port of Cape Town to undertake heavy duty fabrication for both ship and oil rig repairs. Here two 120 ton Pencil Columns for the Pride South Seas were fabricated - steel rolled, fitted and welded (approximately 15000 hours of welding). Two 25 ton workshop cranes were used to skid the four sections of columns out of the workshop where they were blasted and primed. They were then uplifted onto a 200 ton floating crane barge, transferred to the Pride South Seas, and erected. All this was completed in 53 days and with no traffic jams!