Friday, September 20, 2024
Eskom and energy and chemical enterprise, Sasol, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to "collaboratively investigate and study prospective future liquified natural gas (LNG) requirements".
That is according to a joint statement by the two businesses, following the signing ceremony from the MoU on Friday.
"The collaboration aims to determine the likely volumes that South Africa needs to ascertain a practical LNG import market, combined with the enabling infrastructure, and can be facilitated by authorities-to-federal government relations where by necessary."
"This initiative focuses on utilizing gas for energy generation to provide essential base load electrical power and position gas like a crucial enabler of re-industrialisation, although also ensuring ongoing supply to the marketplace 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 for Eskom’s planned coal power station repowering and conversion to gas in the long term. The heresasol learnerships 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 eskom 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.