Evacuation of cargo via SGR registers significant growth
Mombasa – September 26,2018
Container off-take from the Port of Mombasa to the Inland Container Depot, Nairobi by the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has registered tremendous growth recording 5,121 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in the week ended September 19th 2018.
The SGR freight service currently doing an average of eight trains per day accounted for 44.67 percent of the total 11,462 TEUs lifted by both rail and road transport. A total of 6,341 TEUs were evacuated by the road transport which registered a decline of 3,281 TEUs compared to the previous week.
Empty containers received by road registered 12,586 TEUs up from 10,366 TEUs recorded in the previous week while only 511 TEUs (empty) were delivered out of the Port by the same mode of transport.
Steel coils loaded onto the SGR wagons ready for evacuation from the Port.
During the week under review 10 container vessels docked at the Container Terminals registering a ship average working time of 1.77days as the import container Dwell time recorded 4.11 days. The ships discharged 15,487 TEUs (full and empty) and loaded another 15,008 TEUs.
An on the spot check for the Imports population breakdown at the Terminals revealed that 4,723 TEUs were destined to the local market while another 4,373 were transit bound. Uganda maintained her leading position in the transit market accounting for 3510 TEUs an equivalent of 38.58 percent followed by Tanzania which accounted for 338 TEUs.
Other transit destinations included Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which accounted for 223 TEUs, South Sudan with 186 TEUs and Rwanda with 93TEUs. Burundi and Somalia recorded 12 TEUs and 8 TEUs respectively.
Covered SGR wagons awaiting to be loaded with bagged rice to be evacuated from the Port.
Elsewhere in the Port, Conventional cargo handling operations went on as usual with 18 general cargo ships safely docking at the Terminal. The general cargo terminal registered a total of 231,627 metric tonnes at an average of 33,090 metric tonnes per day.The discharge of bulk clinker which emerged the leading commodity in the week recorded 84,086 metric tonnes.
Other commodities included 54,861 metric tonnes of bulk wheat,25,432 metric tonnes of steel,23,000 metric tonnes of bulk illuminate, 5,070 metric tonnes of bulk sorghum,4,398 of soda ash and 13,760 metric tonnes in containers. The cargo terminal also handled car carriers that discharged 1,677 units of motor-vehicles and 76 trucks. The motor car delivery report indicated that 1607 units of motorcars were under direct release while 127 units were for transhipment.
Cargo deliveries by road registered 147,357 metric tonnes while the conveyor belt delivered 54,861 metric tonnes.
Meanwhile forecast for the next 14 days reveals that22 general cargo ships areexpected to dock at the Conventional cargo Terminalto discharge 402,533metric tonnes and load 10,400 metric tonnes. The Container Terminals are expected expectto dock 17 vessels to discharge 13,045 TEUs and load 14,179 TEUs.