Friday, September 20, 2024

Eskom and energy and chemical enterprise, Sasol, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to "collaboratively investigate and research potential long term liquified natural gas (LNG) requirements".

This is based on a joint statement by the two organizations, following the signing ceremony from the MoU on Friday.

"The collaboration aims to ascertain the likely volumes that South Africa involves to ascertain a feasible LNG import market place, combined with the enabling infrastructure, and may be facilitated by governing administration-to-federal government relations where essential."

"This initiative concentrates on applying fuel for energy generation to supply crucial base load energy and position gas like a critical enabler of re-industrialisation, whilst also making certain continued supply to the marketplace by unlocking worldwide 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 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 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 sasol market, sasol learnerships while outlining the challenges associated with the long-term commitments required for LNG imports," the statement said.