Friday, September 20, 2024

Eskom and energy and chemical organization, Sasol, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to "collaboratively discover and research possible future liquified natural gas (LNG) requirements".

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

"The collaboration aims to determine the probable volumes that South Africa calls for to establish a feasible LNG import industry, along with the enabling infrastructure, and may be facilitated by authorities-to-government relations wherever needed."

"This initiative focuses on working with gasoline for electric power generation to supply important base load electrical energy and position gas as being a vital enabler of re-industrialisation, even though also making certain ongoing supply to the market by unlocking world wide 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 sasol learnerships 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, read more Sasol is working sasol learnerships 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 market, while outlining the challenges associated with the long-term commitments required for LNG imports," the statement said.