Durban Container Terminal role in achieving national development plan goals on sustainable development
Authors:   , Ntuli Muziwokuthula Nkanyiso 
Published: September 2024

Durban Container Terminal (DCT) operations contribute significantly to emission release. DCT operations directly threaten sustainable development and South Africa’s Sustainable National Development Plan (NDP) goals. Sustainable port development aims to create scenarios for “Ports of the Future” that are green, sustainable and have minimal or no impact on the environment. The problem statement is defined as DCT's role in failure to achieve sustainable development targets set by the NDP and the United Nations (UN). The current DCT operation setup promotes an increase in cargo handling coupled with numerous socioeconomic activities, which is a constant source of increasing pressure on the limited natural resources and a continuous threat to sustainable development in the Durban areas. The aim and objectives are to investigate and explore the reasons why DCT fails to achieve sustainable development goals set up by the NDP and the UN. The quantitative research method helped to answer questions on relationships within measurable variables to explain, predict, and control a phenomenon concerning sustainable development goals for the container terminal. The findings presented challenges and a threat to DCT if the current position concerning service requirements, costs and demands for sustainability is not addressed. The literature, studies and engineering reports illustrate the available technologies that respond to sustainable development requirements. The theory supports the critical role played by the dry port, terminal layout, and operating system in mitigating emissions release during operations. The engineering and DCT electricity consumption annual reports confirm the high consumption of energy during operations. The results from the port equipment, infrastructure, road and rail integration, and dry port explain why DCT fails to achieve the sustainable development goals set by the NDP and the UN. DCT depends on the main grid energy supply originating from fossil energy sources. This has led to 58 967tCO2e for DCT operation from equipment and electrical infrastructure. The poor rail conditions have increased temporary speed restrictions (TSRs). The lack of investment in the rail infrastructure, rail maintenance, and TSR takes away the opportunity to have a dry port and reduces the number of containers travelling by road. The DCT integrated logistics system is missing the possibility of reducing CO2 emission release by 30 085.4tCO2e. The simulating model confirmed the dominance of trucks and was followed by port equipment concerning CO2 release. The results illustrate the impact of the ineffective role of rail freight. It indicates that if the number of wagons is increased, the number of trucks on the road will decrease, resulting in a CO2 release reduction. The DCT integrated operating model assessment results explain why DCT is not realizing the national development plan’s objectives for sustainable development goals. DCT consumes high amounts of energy and contributes to CO2 emissions, primarily through road and rail freight. Ineffective operational planning and poor rail conditions significantly impact CO2 release. The DCT terminal operation itself contributes only 10% of the integrated operation's CO2 emissions, with road and rail freight releasing 90%. The simulated model highlights the dominance of trucks in CO2 emissions, followed by port equipment, and poor rail conditions preventing DCT from achieving sustainable development goals. The introduction of a dry port as an intermodal hub could promote economic growth and reduce road congestion and carbon emissions. However, the poor rail conditions make the proposed Cato Ridge/Camperdown dry port unviable. DCT's main challenges in achieving sustainable development goals are categorized into three focus areas: Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Climate Action. This analysis will help provide the best operating and sustainable development scenario for DCT, which could include the introduction of hybrid equipment, energy-saving technology, and improved rail infrastructure. Adopting a reconfigured DCT-integrated operating model is recommended since it has no significate operational changes within the DCT terminal. The reconfigured DCT integrated operations introduce a dry port and a rail infrastructure upgrade to accommodate 150 wagon trains. The reconfigured DCT integrated operating model promotes the reduction of container trucks calling for a DCT terminal, unlocking decent work and economic growth, sustainable cities, and communities within the Midlands region.