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Iron Ore Division

Rail – The Orex Line

Operated by the largest division of the government owned Transnet Limited, the only line of its kind in Southern Africa, the Iron Ore line is a core business line that runs from the Northern Cape along the West Coast. The service operates with unique rolling stock designed specifically to meet customers' (Iron Ore Supplier's) special needs. Using dedicated lines, Transnet Freight Rail currently transports a total of 47 million tons of iron ore per annum. This total is set to increase to approximately 60 million tons by 2012.

All of the iron ore exported by Assmang is railed to the Saldanha Bay Iron Ore terminal, making use of the services provided by Transnet Freight Rail. The iron ore is hauled on a dedicated rail link servicing the mines of Kumba Iron Ore, and Assmang’s Khumani Mine.

Assmang is supplied with trains on a daily basis, consisting of 342 wagons, each wagon capable of loading approximately 100 tons of iron ore. Therefore 1 fully loaded train is capable of hauling approximately 34,200 tons of iron ore material along the 861 km railway line to the port of Saldanha Bay, situated on the West coast of South Africa, to be exported.

Port - Saldanha Bay Iron Ore Terminal

Introduction

The Saldanha Bay Iron Ore Terminal is situated about 140km northwest of the city of Cape Town, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The terminal is run and managed by the Transnet Port Terminals division of the Government owned, Transnet Limited, which was established in 2000, when Transnet's then single port division, Portnet, was divided into operations and landlord businesses namely, SAPO (Transnet port terminals) and National Port Authority (TNPA).

Brief History

Dutch Explorer Van Spilbergen discovered Saldanha Bay in 1601. However, it was not until 1969 that feasibility studies were conducted for possible iron ore exportation. The construction of the harbour began in 1973 and the first iron ore consignment was exported in September 1976.

General

Saldanha is the largest deep-water port in South Africa with a draft restriction at high tide of 21,5m and can accommodate Panamax and Cape size vessels with deadweight of approximately 300 000t.