THE EXISTING Port Elizabeth harbour and the deep-water port of Ngqura some 20 kilometres away will complement each other, says Port Elizabeth port manager Ester Goosen. "The National Ports Authority (NPA) will manage the two ports and prevent duplication of activities,” she says. Activities that will remain in the Port of PE include the existing car terminal which serves Ro-Ro vessels, the export of fruit through the existing fruit terminal and the fishing industry. Cargo such as the manganese ore, liquid bulk and scrap steel might relocate, taking the current lease agreements into account, says Goosen. “The Port of PE has specific clients that we serve and we will continue serving them," she says. One of the major projects in the port this year includes its security upgrade. This entails perimeter fencing on our borders, improved lighting, CCTV cameras and access control. The upgrade is part of a five year plan for the port, says Goosen. She says dredging and work on roads and rail infrastructure will start in 2003. Site preparations have started for the construction of the marine infrastructure, which consists of five berths, two breakwaters as well as the development of sand bypass schemes, according to Goosen. The main breakwater will extend more than two kilometres into the sea, while the lee breakwater will be approximately one kilometre long. The five berths to be constructed initially will provide two berths for the container terminal, two for the handling of dry bulk cargo and one for liquid bulk. The depth of the channel and its location in the protected Algoa Bay makes it one of the best available sites for a port on the South African coast. The bay is protected from the prevailing southern winds and has 330 anchor days a year, says Goosen.