Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) confirmed on Monday that a fire that occurred on the wood chip conveyor line at the Richards terminal damaged two sections of the conveyor belt, affecting 80 meters in length.

However, the sprinkler system and the emergency response from the terminal successfully contained damage caused by the fire, protecting the rest of the structure from the terminal.

TPT said that, to ensure business continuity, and in consultation with its customers, a that was berthed at the time was diverted to the Durban Multi-Product Terminal to load export wood chips.

All teams are currently on site repairing the damagedor belts to ensure the resumption of operations before the end of the week, TPT noted, while the relevant investigations into the cause of the fire are also underway.

Richards Bay dry bulk terminal is part of Transnet Port Terminals (TPT)’s network of 16 marine terminals and three inland terminals that support the dry bulk break-bulk trade across South Africa. The terminal, which handles mainly bulk commodities such as coal, wood chips, and other mineral products, serves both the export market and domestic industries

The nearby NCT Richards Bay plant had erupted in a massive wood chip fire on Sept. 30, 2023, which was only finally extingu on Oct. 12, 2023. The 2023 fire burned 200,000 tons of wood chips and caused severe damage the factory infrastructure, which required a combined effort from multiple fire crews and local businesses to control. The damaged NCT processing line took over a year to return to normal production levels