A group of activists in Mozambique stormed into Sasol’s Inhambane plant and seized it.
More than 110 have lost their lives in the protests against the newly elected Frelimo Government. About 34 people were killed in the last week alone, according to Khanyo Arise, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for East and Southern Africa.
More than 90% of Sasol’s gas imports come from Mozambique.
This powers up Sasol’s gas to power plant in Sasolburg and Secunda.
The impact of protests in Mozambique might have an impact on gas supply, which is already under strain.
Organisations such as the Business Unity of South Africa (Busa) have been calling for a plan for alternative gas supply, since Mozambique’s Pande and Temane are expected to be constrained around 2025.
But some environmentalists such as the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) perceive gas to be dirty and dangerous, and back in October, Gabrielle Knott, CER Attorney said “research shows that instead of committing South Africa to the long-term harmful effects and expense of gas, we should instead be focusing on renewable energy as the quickest and cheapest way of increasing our energy capacity.”
Sasol has invested about USD 760 Million, in the
PSA Project (Production Sharing Agreement), part of the Temane Gas and Energy Projects.
Temane Gas and Energy Projects is a partnership between Sasol, Globeleq, EDM, and the state company Empresa Nacional De Hidrocarbonetos de Mozambique (ENH).
For 20 years, Sasol has also supplied gas to the Temane Thermoelectric Power Plant (Temaninho), which is the gas-to-power plant that produces 11.2 MW of energy, used by all districts in the north of Inhambane, namely, Inhassoro, Govuro, Vilankulo and Mabote.
Picture: Supplied