In a significant milestone for Mozambique’s energy independence, the first batch of liquified petroleum gas for domestic use has been loaded into transporters, marking a new chapter in the country’s processing capabilities.
South African petrochemical giant Sasol carried out the experimental operation last Tuesday at the Integrated Processing Plant in Inhassoro, Inhambane, considered one of the most modern facilities of its kind in Africa.
With the capacity to produce up to 30,000 tons of LPG annually, the facility is expected to slash costly imports of cooking gas by around 70 percent, ensuring a more stable and predictable supply for the domestic market.
Sasol’s general manager for Mozambique, Ovidio Rodolfo, lauded the inaugural shipment as a significant step toward monetising natural gas within the country, creating “greater value for the national market.”
The achievement comes a month after the Sasol facility at Inhassoro produced its first pure light oil, further demonstrating Mozambique’s growing capacity to process fossil fuel products locally, which reduces costs, increases energy security and supports sustainable economic growth.
The Integrated Processing Plant is part of a $1 billion production sharing agreement signed by Sasol and the Mozambican government. The deal also includes the production of around 4,000 barrels per day of light oil and 23 petajoules of natural gas, destined for the 450-megawatt Temane Thermal Power Plant, which is set to become the country’s second-largest power plant.
As Mozambique’s first domestic gas processing and production unit, the facility will allow the country to process its own hydrocarbons locally, reducing import costs and strengthening energy security. The LPG is being produced from natural gas extracted from the Inhassoro and Govuro reservoirs through industrial processes that transform it into what Sasol describes as “a clean, safe and efficient fuel.”
Sasol emphasized its role as “a pioneering operator in the Mozambican oil and gas industry,” committed to supporting the country’s industrial growth, local value creation and continued development of the sector.
Source: macaonews.org