News

The newly appointed Board of the Zululand Energy Terminal recently completed its first site visit to Richards Bay, engaging directly with Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ), and Transnet Pipelines (TPL) as part of its induction and strategic oversight responsibilities. The visit offered the Board an opportunity to observe the entire proposed development corridor, including the LNG Import location at Berth 207, the Transfer Line Routing and Terminal Area, the Future Gas Hub site within the RBIDZ, and the integration point at TPL’s Empangeni Lilly Station.

Board Chair, Maarten Smeets said the visit was an important step in grounding the Board’s understanding of the project and its national significance. He noted that seeing the sites first-hand gave the Board greater appreciation of the scale of the development, the potential to unlock industrial growth, and the opportunity to strengthen South Africa’s energy resilience. Smeets added that ZET represents a long-term investment in the country’s future gas market and emphasised the importance of maintaining strong partnerships with Transnet and the RBIDZ as the project progresses through its regulatory and technical phases.

The City of uMhlathuze, the Port of Richards Bay, and the surrounding industrial zones remain central to positioning the region as a future energy and logistics hub. The visit reinforced the alignment between ZET and its stakeholders as the project advances towards key development milestones.