NCT Durban Wood Chips Limited loaded its first export ship to Japan

Feb 11, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. NCT Durban Wood Chips (Pty) Limited (DWC) loaded its first export ship to Japan. Close on 30 000 tonnes of wood chips were loaded on to the Hokuetsu Ace at the beginning of February. Loading took six days and the ship is expected in Japan in early March. The second vessel for the Durban plant is due at the beginning of March. A Japanese delegation that included the president of one of DWC’s main customers, Hokuetsu Paper Mills, was in South Africa to witness this first ship load and finalise contractual agreements. A long term contract for 300 000 tonnes per year has been secured with Hokuetsu for the Durban plant. NCT Durban Wood Chips is a joint venture between NCT Forestry Co-operative Limited and Zululand Chip Management Company (Pty) Limited. The facility at Maydon Wharf in the Port of Durban, which has taken two years to complete, began chipping in August last year. With a planned capacity on a single shift of 360 000 air dry tonnes of hardwood chips per annum, it is the fourth wood chip export facility in South Africa but the first one for Durban - the three existing plants are all located in Richards Bay. NCT Durban Wood Chips is aimed at the export of eucalyptus hardwood chips from Durban to paper manufacturers in Japan.