Friday, September 20, 2024
Eskom and energy and chemical company, Sasol, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to "collaboratively discover and investigate prospective potential liquified natural gas (LNG) requirements".
This is based on a joint statement by the two companies, following the signing ceremony of the MoU on Friday.
"The collaboration aims to determine the probable volumes that South Africa needs to ascertain a practical LNG import sector, along with the enabling infrastructure, and will be facilitated by government-to-governing administration relations wherever essential."
"This initiative concentrates on working with fuel for energy generation to deliver crucial base load energy and position gas as being a important enabler of re-industrialisation, when also ensuring ongoing supply to the industry by unlocking international LNG resources.
"Furthermore, the collaboration will contribute to enhancing South Africa’s energy mix and enable the country's energy transition and decarbonisation," the joint statement read.
The MoU is expected to "explore sourcing gas within South Africa, the Southern African Development Community region, and other parts of the African continent, in addition to evaluating long-term LNG contracting".
"This will support the gas requirements here for Eskom’s planned coal power station repowering and conversion to gas in the long term. The parties will also engage other state entities to enable an LNG value chain in South Africa.
"As part of its revised gas strategy, Sasol is working on enabling the future supply of sasol LNG to South Africa by collaborating with companies such as Eskom, existing and future customers, suppliers, and infrastructure developers.
"The research findings from the first phase of the Sasol-Eskom collaboration will guide the necessary role players and investors required to offer the best prospects for South Africa's energy market, while outlining the challenges associated with the long-term commitments required for LNG imports," the statement said.