Pepel (SLPEP)

The port of Pepel is a single commodity, single user port operated by African Minerals for the export of iron ore. The iron ore is transported from the mine at Tonkolili, via a 120km stretch of railway (also operated by African Minerals), to Pepel port. The port consists of two piers and an STS transhipment area. Export operations to the STS transhipment area involve three, 35,000DWT self-discharging bulk carriers which load iron ore to larger, 170,000DWT bulk carriers for further transport, mainly to China (mainland).

Tropical.

The port of Pepel is located on Pepel Island, near the mouth of the Sierra Leone River, 24km from Freetown.

Harbour: LOA 294m, draught 12.04m, beam 36m, 70,000DWT, Off Shore: 170,000DWT.

Approx. 2,000,000t of cargo handled annually.

Transhipment Anchorage Area: Please refer to the below anchorage coordinates for the transhipment position: 1. 08°27.40N 13°25.65W 2. 08°28.80N 13°22.80W 3. 08°27.80N 13°22.20W 4. 08°26.20N 13°26.00W 5. 08°26.40N 13°27.40W 6. 08°28.00N 13°27.00W

The channel between Freetown and the port is buoyed and has a depth of 10.7m CD.

BA 601, 623. Admiralty Pilot NP1.

1000.

Fairway Buoy to Freetown anchorage is compulsory if vessels summer DWT is greater than 20,000t and draught over 9.1m. This pilotage is undertaken by Sierra Leone Ports Authority pilots. Pilots for the stretch between the anchorage and Pepel boards vessels at Freetown anchorage 2 hours before daylight HW. These pilots are employed by the mining company.

Entrance to the channel is restricted to 2 hours before HW at Freetown, during daylight hours only. The Pepel port channel is only navigable one vessel at a time, meaning that African Minerals has to anchor additional transhipment vessels near Freetown, allowing them into the Pepel Jetty once the outgoing vessel has departed.

Range 2.1-3.4m above CD.

Prevailing winds: NW'ly.

VHF: Ch 16.