BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 28. South Africa’s Central Energy Fund (CEF) released a tender last month, looking for a gas aggregator to help secure liquified natural gas (LNG) for various gas-to-power projects planned for the Coega special economic zone in the Eastern Cape, Trend reports citing news24.
A gas aggregator is a wholesaler who imports LNG in bulk and sells it to smaller customers.
Reportedly, Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and Russia’s Gazprombank are contemplating bids. Shell, which was expected to be a front-runner for the gas aggregator tender, has confirmed that it will not bid.
The average gas demand could be more than 200 million cubic feet per day.
SOCAR buys and sells LNG over a very wide geography, including the Mediterranean basin, Asia and other regions. LNG is purchased from third parties and forms part of the company’s trade with third parties and buyers. This product is not exported from Azerbaijan due to the lack of direct sea access of Azerbaijan to the world ocean.
SOCAR Trading is currently involved in LNG-to-Power projects in Malta. The company has also sent several batches of LNG to Pakistan.
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