Page 8 - AfrElec Week 14 2022
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AfrElec GAS GENERATION AfrElec
Mozambique agrees to sell
gas to ease South Africa’s
energy crisis
SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH Africa will buy gas from Mozam- 2,752 incidents were recorded, costing an esti-
bique to help curb an energy crisis in the coun- mated ZAR200mn ($13.6mn), according to
try, plagued by unprecedented levels of load Business Day.
shedding. To better protect its assets, Eskom employed
Deputy President David Mabuza told Par- 450 more security guards and drones with infra-
liament in Cape Town on Thursday (March 31) red cameras at a cost of ZAR50mn.
that the government is working on addressing Mabuza told parliament that the power utility
the electricity shortage and that Energy Min- is also converting some decommissioned power
ister Gwede Manthashe has concluded discus- stations to produce renewable energy.
sions on an energy deal with his Mozambican Asked if the country had a contract with Rus-
counterpart. sia to build a gas-fired plant at Koega in the East-
“Discussions between our minister here of ern Cape, he said: “I’m not aware of these projects
mineral resources and Mozambique are quite especially those that are Russian connected…”
advanced in terms of gas that we should trans- On March 28, Mozambique laid the foun-
port from Mozambique to the country. I can dation stone for a $2bn, 450MW gas-to-power
safely say that we have reached an agreement,” plant in which Sasol Petroleum, a South African
Mabuza said. company, is the major investor.
South Africa has a long history of electric- Discussions were said to be underway, for
ity shortages due to high demand and frequent some of the output from Central Termica de
plant breakdowns. On March 9, Eskom, the Temane, expected to be online in January 2025,
power supplier, announced that due to failures in to be sold to South Africa, Zimbabwe and
at least four generation units, it had to intensify Eswatini, according to local media.
load shedding. The breakdowns amounted to Sasol operates an 865km pipeline from
15,439MW in power lost with at least 5,505MW onshore gas fields in Inhambane to South Africa
of planned outages underway, it said. where the gas is processed into petrochemicals
Vandalism and theft on the network further or sold to industrial customers.
weakens Eskom’s capacity to deliver. Last year,
P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 14 07•April•2022
