East London Port Set for LNG Terminal Boost
South Africa's East London Port is set to become more competitive after Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) announced plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal at the facility. The port, located at the mouth of the Buffalo River, has been supporting the region's automotive manufacturing sector as its main export hub.
The $3.6 million project to deepen and strengthen the port's automotive terminal was completed last year, allowing two new-generation automotive vessels greater than 200 meters in length to berth simultaneously and increasing the port's capacity to handle 790,000 units annually.
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is seeking a private operator to design, finance, develop, construct, operate, maintain, and transfer the terminal under a 25-year concession agreement. The facility will be used for receiving and dispatching LNG via vessels, pipelines, and tankers and will incorporate facilities like storage tanks and other terminal infrastructure.
The TNPA highlighted that the LNG terminal forms part of its strategic direction to advance the port's infrastructure development and support diversification for the future energy demand in the Eastern Cape. The terminal is expected to provide a reliable energy solution for niche LNG consumers and industrial users while reinforcing the port's role in enabling industrial growth, job creation, and economic growth.