Port of East London

The Port of East London is South Africa's only remaining river port and is situated at the mouth of the Buffalo River in the East Cape Province. The original name was Port Rex. The general cargo port has rail and road connections with the hinterland (Free State and Gauteng) and north and southwest to KZN and Port Elizabeth, respectively. East London handled a total of 333 ships during the fiscal year 2008/09, with a gross tonnage of 8,821,900.

Coal exports
In March 2011, London Commodity Brokers (LCB) announced it aims to sell 2 million tonnes of South African thermal coal a year for Strategic Natural Resources (SNR), using the port of East London rather than the busier Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT). The coal, produced by SNR's Elitheni mine in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, will be shipped out of East London Port. Once the mine "has reached full production," Port Elizabeth will be used as well. SNR, advised by LCB, is in discussions with potential customers for the coal.

Booming Asian demand for South African coal, led by India and China, has prompted producers to look for new routes to take advantage of current high coal prices of around $120 a tonne, which give exporters a reported profit of over $60. LCB has sold 200 million tonnes of coal since its inception in 2005, including over 22 million tonnes of South African coal from RBCT in 2010.

Contact Information
Port of East London PO Box 101 East London 5200 Tel (27) 043 700 1200 Fax (27) 043 700 2319

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