Ohorongo commits to reducing bulk cargo on road, extends partnership with Transnamib
Ohorongo Cement has been transporting some of its locally procured raw materials used in the cement making process to the plant, as well as locally produced cement products to its customers nationwide, by rail making roads safer by removing hundreds of trucks from the traffic.
This has been made possible by a partnership with Transnamib, which has seen the construction of a multi-faceted private siding with two independent sections designed for inbound and outbound shipments at Ohorongo Cement’s plant near Otavi.
This year marks 9 years since the inception of the partnership.
According to Ohorongo Cement’s Customer Relations and Public Affairs Manager, Frankleen Alberts, Ohorongo Cement and Transnamib entered into a public-private partnership with the establishment of their Ondangwa depot, in which Ohorongo invested N$4 million for the infrastructure for the distribution of various types of cement in the Northern area.
Alberts said the partnership includes the lease of land by Transnamib to Ohorongo Cement at the Ondangwa railway station as part of the Northern Railway Extension project which extends from Tsumeb to Oshikango.
“Having fewer trucks on the road, reduces motor vehicle accidents, a major concern for Namibia. It also means less repairs and maintenance to the road infrastructure, again ensuring safe and unobstructed passage for motorists,” Alberts added.
The Ohorongo and Transnamib partnership comprise of coal transportation from Walvisbay port to Otavi, as well as palletized cement for central-, southern- and northern regions.
Special logistics arrangement has been made by Transnamib to ensure consistent and on-time delivery with additional train service between Tsumeb and Ondangwa / Oshakati. These shipments to the north of Namibia are exclusively transported by rail due to the high traffic volume between the towns.
“We highly value our relationship with Ohorongo Cement as their increased utilization of rail transport allowed for the implementation of our road-to-rail strategy which have resulted in a reduction of approximately 150 trucks on the road between Tsumeb and Ondangwa,” said Zebby Mukungu, Marketing and Sales Manager at Transnamib.
Strategic logistics and warehouse planning are incorporated in this partnership for long-term business dealings.
