Friday, September 20, 2024

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

This can be according to a joint statement by the two firms, following the signing ceremony from the MoU on Friday.

"The collaboration aims to determine the probable volumes that South Africa calls for to determine a viable LNG import marketplace, along with the enabling infrastructure, and can be facilitated by govt-to-governing administration relations the place vital."

"This initiative focuses on applying fuel for energy generation to supply vital base load electricity and position gas like a essential enabler of re-industrialisation, though also making certain continued supply to the marketplace by unlocking global 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, sasol vacancies 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 here repowering and conversion to gas in the long term. The parties will also engage other state entities to enable an LNG value chain in eskom learnerships 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 market, while outlining the challenges associated with the long-term commitments required for LNG imports," the statement said.