ESITHOMBENI – UMqondisi weZululand Energy Terminal, u-Oliver Naidu (kwesobunxele), kanye noMqondisi Omkhulu we-Eskom obhekelele Ukulethwa Kwamasu, u-Alfred Seema, besayina iSivumelwano Sokuqala Sokubambisana (Heads of Agreement) mhla zi-5 kuNhlangulana 2026.
SHEILA MHLONGO
U-Eskom kanye neZululand Energy Terminal (ZET) basayine i-Heads of Agreement (HOA), okuyisivumelwano esibeka uhlaka lobambiswano lwesikhathi eside oluzosekela uhlelo lwaseNingizimu Afrika lokukhiqiza ugesi kusetshenziswa igesi.
“U-Eskom uzoba ‘ikhasimende eliyisisekelo’ (foundation customer) esikhungweni esihlongozwayo iZululand Energy Terminal, esizohlinzeka ngengqalasizinda evulekile yokungenisa, ukugcina kanye nokuguqula i-Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) ukuze isetshenziswe. Lokhu kuzosekela uhlelo luka-Eskom lokukhiqiza ugesi olungama-3 000MW kusetshenziswa igesi,” kusho u-Eskom kanye ne-ZET esitatimendeni esihlanganyelwe.
Ngesikhathi kusayinwa lesi sivumelwano ngoLwesihlanu, u-Eskom kanye neZululand Energy Terminal baphinde baqinisekisa ukuzibophezela kwabo ekuqhubekiseni izimvume ezidingekayo zomthetho, izivumelwano zesikhathi eside zebhizinisi, kanye nokwakhiwa kwengqalasizinda edingekayo ukuze iphrojekthi iphumelele.
I-ZET iwubambiswano phakathi kweVopak Terminal Durban, ephethwe yiRoyal Vopak (inkampani enekomkhulu eNetherlands), iReatile Group Proprietary Limited (inkampani yaseNingizimu Afrika) kanye neTransnet Pipelines (uphiko lweTransnet SOC Ltd). I-ZET yanikezwa ilungelo yiTransnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) lokuthuthukisa, ukwakha, ukusebenza nokugcina isikhungo se-LNG.
Lobu bambiswano buyisinyathelo esibalulekile ekuthuthukiseni ingqalasizinda yegesi eNingizimu Afrika. Buphinde busekele imizamo kazwelonke yokwandisa imithombo yamandla, ukuqinisa ukuphepha kwamandla kanye nokukhulisa umnotho.
Ngokwesekwa nguMnyango Wezogesi Namandla, uMnyango Wezokuthutha kanye neTransnet, le phrojekthi izosiza ukuthuthukisa ukukhiqizwa kukagesi kusetshenziswa igesi, ihlinzeke ngamandla okukhiqiza ugesi aguquguqukayo nathembekile adingekayo ukuze asekele amandla avuselelekayo, kugcinwe uzinzo kunethiwekhi kagesi futhi kusekelwe uguquko lwesikhathi eside lwamandla ezweni.
Iphrojekthi ka-Eskom yaseRichards Bay yokukhiqiza ugesi ongama-3 000MW kusetshenziswa igesi izokwakhiwa futhi isebenze eRichards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ) KwaZulu-Natali.
Le phrojekthi ihlose ukungenisa nokusebenzisa i-LNG esiguquliwe njengephethiloli eyinhloko yesiteshi sikagesi. Kulindeleke ukuthi lesi siteshi sisebenze iminyaka engama-25 futhi sizosebenza ikakhulukazi njengendawo yokukhiqiza ugesi wesigaba esiphakathi (mid-merit plant). Le phrojekthi ibekwe njengeStrategic Integrated Project ngaphansi kwe-Infrastructure Development Act 23 ka-2014 kanye ne-Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025.
Le phrojekthi izothuthukiswa ngendlela ye-Private Sector Participation (PSP), lapho kuzosebenzisana khona nabalingani abahlukene, kusetshenziswe uxhaso lwezimali lwephrojekthi kanye nezivumelwano zesikhathi eside zokuthengwa kukagesi.
Isiteshi sikagesi esizokwakhiwa siyitshalomali enkulu ezodonsa abatshalizimali bamazwe ngamazwe futhi sisheshise ukuthuthukiswa kwezimboni eRichards Bay.
“IGesi isetshenziswa njengophethiloli wesikhashana ukweseka uguquko oluya ohlelweni lwamandla olunokukhishwa okuphansi kwekhabhoni. Lezi ziteshi zegesi zenzelwe ukuhambisana nemithombo yamandla avuselelekayo efana nelanga nomoya, ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuhlinzekwa kukagesi okuthembekile amahora angama-24 ngosuku, ngesikhathi kusathuthukiswa futhi kufakwa ubuchwepheshe bamandla ahlanzekile kunethiwekhi.
“Ukutholakala kwamandla angasetshenziswa ngesikhathi esidingekayo kuyisisekelo soguquko lwamandla, futhi izimboni azikwazi ukusebenza ngaphandle kwawo njengoba esekela ukufakwa kwamandla avuselelekayo kunethiwekhi.
“Ukuthola isikhundla sekhasimende eliyisisekelo eZululand Energy Terminal kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile ohlelweni lwethu lwegesi olungama-3 000MW, ngenhloso yokwenza izivumelwano zesikhathi eside ezizonciphisa ukungazinzi kwezindleko futhi zisekele ukwethembeka kohlelo, ngesikhathi zihambisana nezinhloso ze-IRP 2025,” kusho iChief Executive Group yakwa-Eskom, uDan Marokane.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uMqondisi kanye noMniniphrojekthi weZululand Energy Terminal, u-Oliver Naidu, uthe ukusayinwa kwalesi sivumelwano kuwumlando obalulekile ku-ZET njengoba kuqinisa iqhaza layo ekusekeleni ikusasa lamandla eNingizimu Afrika.
“Njengelinye lamakhasimende ethu ayisisekelo, ukubamba iqhaza kuka-Eskom kukhombisa ukwanda kokuzethemba ku-LNG njengendlela yokuqinisekisa ukuphepha kwamandla, uzinzo lwenethiwekhi kanye nokukhula kwezimboni.
“Lesi sivumelwano siqinisa isisekelo sebhizinisi lesikhungo sethu, futhi sibheke ngabomvu ukwakha ubudlelwano besikhathi eside njengoba siqhubekela esivumelwaneni sokusebenzisa isikhungo (Terminal Use Agreement), ukuvalwa kwezinhlelo zezimali kanye nokulethwa kwesikhungo sokuqala saseNingizimu Afrika sokungenisa i-LNG,” kusho uNaidu.
Ukuqinisa ukuphepha kwamandla
I-IRP 2025 ifuna ukuthi kube namandla kagesi angama-6 000MW avela kugesi ngonyaka ka-2030, lapho ama-3 000MW ezotholakala ngohlelo lweGas Independent Power Producer (IPP) kanti amanye ama-3 000MW azohlinzekwa ngu-Eskom.
Ukuze lokhu kufezeke, lobu bambiswano bubhekana ngqo nezidingo ezintathu ezibalulekile:
• Ukuphepha kwamandla nokweseka amandla avuselelekayo: Igesi iyadingeka ukuqinisekisa ukuphepha kwamandla, ukunciphisa ukuthembela emalahleni nokweseka ukwanda kokusetshenziswa kwamandla avuselelekayo njengoba kuchazwe ku-IRP 2025.
• Ukuqinisa uzinzo lwenethiwekhi nokunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kukadizili: Igesi izosebenza kanye neminye imithombo ka-Eskom yokuzinzisa inethiwekhi efana namabhethri kanye nezinhlelo zamanzi agcinwayo (pumped hydro), futhi izosiza ukunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kukadizili ekukhiqizeni ugesi wesigaba esiphakathi.
• Ukugwema ukushoda kwegesi esikhathini esizayo: Le phrojekthi iphinde ibhekane nokuncipha okulindelekile kokuhlinzekwa kwegesi okuvela ezinkundleni zegesi zasePande naseTemane eMozambique. Lokhu kubeka igesi njengento ebalulekile ekukhiqizeni ugesi nasekuthuthukiseni izimboni. Nakuba kugxilwe kakhulu ekukhiqizeni ugesi, kusabalulekile ukweseka ukukhula kwezimboni kabanzi.
– SAnews.gov.za
