Webinar 10: Infrastructure Projects for Gas Imports into Southern Africa

Date: 13th October
Time: 10:00-11:30 GMT+2

In this, our tenth webinar, we take a closer look at the infrastructure required for importing LNG into southern Africa, the relative cost thereof, as well as more detail of specific projects being implemented to enable gas imports. We propose and consider a phased approach to the development of infrastructure to ensure that imports can start soon enough to overcome the pending gas cliff and that local gas sources are also effectively utilized.

Speakers

Jurie Steyn, Consulting Partner, OTC: Jurie is a graduate chemical engineer with over 40 years’ experience, covering process development, process engineering, project management, operations management, and environmental, health, and safety engineering and management.  At OTC, besides his role as Chairperson, he focuses primarily on environmental matters, inherently safer design, water treatment, risk management, decarbonisation, and renewable energy. 

Freek van Heerden, CEO, OTC: Freek has more than 40 years’ experience in process and project engineering on oil and gas projects globally. He specializes in facility scope specification to meet specific business needs, value engineering, engineering integration across all disciplines, and start-up of new facilities. In OTC, he has been leading CBM gas field development assignments, as well as power and LNG production from these fields, both in Botswana and South Africa.

Stephen Rothman, CEO, LNG Hub: Stephen has a strong foundation in strategic management and has successfully developed businesses from greenfield projects to mature, trading enterprises. For the past 16 years, Stephen has specialized in the Gas sector, playing a pivotal role in bringing global technologies to Africa. His work has been instrumental in introducing and expanding these technologies within Sub-Saharan Africa. He is currently the CEO of LNG Hub, a company distributing LNG as vehicular fuel to industry and mining, as well as to small-to-medium power generation and hybrid power projects.

Facilitator: Wilmien Davis (OTC)

Webinar 1: Potential Future Gas Sources in Southern Africa

Our inaugural session focused on the Southern African gas landscape, exploring the history of the Pande/Temane gas pipeline and the impending “gas cliff.” We discussed potential supply scenarios, pricing dynamics, and more.

Key Topics:

• History of Gas & the Gas Cliff
• Potential Supply Scenarios & Pricing
• Live Q&A Session

Webinar 2: Southern African Inland Gas as a Primary Energy Source

In our second webinar, we delve deeper into onshore gas resources in the northern part of South Africa, as well as in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. We discuss the stages of development, available gas volumes, locations, utilization methods, and potential strategies to unlock these resources. Additionally, we explore the potential of biogas in the region.

Key Topics:

• Inland gas resources
• Inland Gas Utilisation
• The potential of Biogas in South Africa
• Live Q&A Session

Webinar 3: Putting Investments in Natural Gas into Context

In our third webinar, we evaluated the economic viability of investments in natural gas supply and infrastructure projects. For a project to be viable, the anticipated gas cost must be significantly lower than the projected sales price to justify the investment in processing facilities and pipelines. Additionally, there must be certainty that gas will remain available and in demand for the longer term, in light of the expected transition to a hydrogen-based economy.

Speakers

Jaco Human (IGUA-SA): Gas Contracting and Price Formation
Andries Rautenbach (OTC): Cost & Pricing of Inland Natural Gas
Jurie Steyn (OTC): Natural Gas: Fuel and Feedstock for the Long Term

Webinar 4: Natural Gas Powering Progress in South Africa

In our fourth webinar, we considered practical examples and case studies of successful natural gas applications in South Africa, as well as lessons learnt from these projects. .

Speakers

Charl Buys: Converting a Mine from Diesel to LNG
Andri Hugo: Conversion of Kelvin Power Station to LNG
Petrus Scholtz: Transitioning from LNG to LPG – Ardagh’s Story

Webinar 5: Replacing Natural Gas with Methane-Rich Gas

In our fifth webinar, Sasol will present their plans to redirect Methane-Rich Gas (MRG), a synthetic gas produced at its Secunda operations, into the gas network, and we will discuss the technical and practical implications thereof.  Sasol is currently the only supplier of natural gas in the ROMPCO pipeline that supplies gas to many industrial users.  This is a stopgap measure to maintain gas supplies to South Africa from mid-2028 through to mid-2030. This synthetic alternative would fully replace natural gas volumes for contracted external customers over the two-year bridging period.

Speakers

Dr Jaap Smit: Sasol’s Planned Introduction of Methane-Rich Gas

Andries Rautenbach: Reaction, Analysis, and Implications of Sasol’s  MRG Plans

Jurie Steyn: Panel Discussion

Facilitator: Wilmien Davis (OTC)

Webinar 6: Emergence of Small-scale Liquefaction of Natural Gas

In our sixth webinar, we focus on an emerging technology that is generating much interest amongst gas producers, namely the small-scale liquefaction of natural gas, or small-scale LNG. This technology is essential for small gas producers in remote areas not serviced by gas pipelines, and enables the transport of LNG via road or rail.

Speakers

Jurie Steyn: Introduction to Small-scale LNG

Freek van Heerden: Liquefaction Technology Offerings

Cathy Farina: PolaireTech’s Competitive Edge in Small-scale LNG

Facilitator: Wilmien Davis (OTC)

Webinar 7: Fast and Furious: additional options to overcome the gas cliff

In our seventh webinar, we focus on emerging and alternative technologies that can be used to overcome the pending gas cliff. We consider the gasification of various feedstocks for producing natural gas, as well as the production of synthetic natural gas (SNG) from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Lastly, we contemplate whether electrifying high-temperature industrial heating is a viable option as South Africa approaches the industrial gas shortfall, rather than relying on gas.

Speakers

Deryck Coetzer: Gasifying Diverse Feedstocks into Syngas & Synthetic Methane (SNG)

Jaco Wiese: The Case for SNG in Times of Natural Gas Shortage

Freek van Heerden: Flame to Flux: Electrifying High-Temperature Heating

Facilitator: Wilmien Davis (OTC)

Webinar 8: The South African Regulatory Environment for Gas Projects

In this, our eighth webinar, we will follow a slightly different approach. After a brief introduction, we will have a panel discussion on the current South African regulatory environment for gas projects. What works, what doesn’t, and what can be done to attract more investment in natural gas projects.

Speakers

Anton Putter
Barrisford Petersen
Craig Morkel

Facilitator: Wilmien Davis (OTC)

Webinar 9: Diesel to Gas Transition in Southern Africa

In this, our ninth webinar, we take a closer look at the diesel to gas transition in southern Africa, and specifically the conversion of diesel engines to run on natural gas. We firstly consider CNG and LNG as strategic alternatives to diesel fuel for the future of transport in South Africa. This is followed by more detail on engine conversion case studies​ for trucks, technical specifications, fleet performance​, operational feedback​, and transport corridor readiness for CNG and LNG.

Speakers

Koos Taljaard

Eddie Cooke

James Barnard

Facilitator: Wilmien Davis (OTC)