State-owned ports operator, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), has announced that it is looking to expand capacity at its port in Durban over the next few years.

The group said it hopes to double capacity at its Pier One terminal, but stressed this remained dependent on demand.

In an interview with Engineering News, TPT spokesperson Sandile Simelane said container volumes had dropped as a result of the global financial downturn, but added that traffic was showing signs of recovery.

At the Pier Two terminal, TPT said it would boost capacity by more than 26%, up from 750 containers a day to 950 containers a day.

Projects currently underway at the Durban terminal include an automated gate with cameras, a new truck staging area and increasing the number of reefer points to 2 000