RESOURCES
Frequently Asked Questions
You will find the answers to the questions we get asked the most regarding this project in the attached document .The FAQs are updated on a weekly basis as per the queries we receive and you can expect your general question(s) to be answered within 5 business days.Â
For any other questions, please send your queries to info@zlet.co.zaÂ
The company is a joint venture of Vopak Terminal Durban (which include Vopak and Reatile as shareholders) and Transnet Pipelines. The purpose of the project is to serve the South African market with an LNG import solution to help provide energy security and accelerate the decarbonisation journey.
This means that Vopak & Transnet Pipelines participated in a competitive bidding process and will now conclude a Terminal Operator Agreement (Port Concession) with Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to develop an LNG Terminal.
An open season process is a public capacity allocation process. This process has led to a transparent shortlisting for potential customers of the terminal.
The process for identifying foundation customers is now closed. We will advertise additional processes to become a customer in the future.
We are aiming to conclude the Heads of Agreement with potential customers within 1H 2025.
Currently we are not looking for new shareholders for this project.
We will primarily be relying on Vopak’s established hiring process, please visit
https://www.careersatvopak.com/vacancies for open positions.
We will only build a short distance pipeline (approximately 25 km) to connect the terminal to the grid and a tie in point for other nearby customers.
We have no plans of building a powerplant.
Regasified LNG will be distributed via a new gas transmission pipeline, which will connect with the existing Lilly pipeline near Empangeni and provide an offtake facility for other customers in the area. We will also have facilities to enable LNG truck loading, marine bunkering and reloading.
LNG is the cleanest burning fossil fuel and is widely considered as an intermediate solution for moving from high emission fuels, such as coal, to renewable energy. LNG can be used in load following applications to complement the intermittent nature of renewable energy generation. That said, the main driver behind the project is an issue of energy security for South Africa.
The scope of the project includes a tie-in to Empangeni and the planned timeline is for this link to be operational at the same time as the terminal in 1H of 2028.
TUA will be signed with a new SPV (Zululand Energy Terminal) formed by Vopak Terminal Durban and Transnet Pipelines.
We have optimized our process based on customer feedback and are currently envisaging a simultaneous FID of Phase 1 & Phase 2 in 2026.
Phase 2 LNG tank is planned to be Onshore.
The consortium will be applying for permits required for its scope. The expectation is that the customer will meet all the permit requirements related to their own scope.
Current planning basis is to take FID in 2026 and have Phase 1 commercial operations by 2028.