Oil and gas A maritime cluster will help to create focus in the energy sector.
The Mossgas facility at Mossel Bay could be revived if feedstock in the form of gas is delivered from new discoveries. Credit: PASA
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he Western Cape Maritime Cluster has been established by private companies and is supported by the government of the Netherlands and the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism. The group is planning to strengthen the industry by focussing on an integrated approach. Regional steering committees for Saldanha Bay on the west coast and Mossel Bay on the east coast have been set up. There are nine focus areas for the cluster, including energy (offshore), logistics and shipping, marine services and metal and machine-working (shipbuilding, marine equipment). The Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone Licensing Company (SBIDZ-LC) has announced the start of phase one of the development of the main infrastructure of the IDZ. Located within the southern hemisphere’s deepest and biggest natural port, the company will spend R3.5-billion on developing 356ha of space to enable the port to offer a wider variety of services. A floating dock, ship-lift facilities and marine service jetties will be among the new services created. Ultimately, the seven-part development plan will see the SBIDZ become a South African Freeport, a Special Economic Zone and customs-controlled area within a port, dedicated to the oil, gas and marine sector. The three main exploration and production customer groups being targeted are: Drilling companies: Office space, warehousing, logistical facilities and support services. Petroleum companies: Office and warehousing space for an operational base close to active fields. Oilfield service companies: 24-hour operational nodes along the coast, in the form of office spaces and warehousing bases. In sites such as Offshore Supply Bases [OSSBs] and/or quaysides for supply and re-fuelling purpose. WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2022
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SECTOR INSIGHT R3.5-billion is to be spent on the first phase of the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone. The SBIDZ-LC has established the Saldanha Bay Innovation Campus which aims to promote collaboration between academic institutions, industry, government and the local community specific to marine and energy research, development and innovation. It also intends supporting entrepreneurs and new ventures through incubation and acceleration programmes. In 2019 Total and its partners created a stir with the announcement that gas condensate had been found at a site called Brulpadda off the coast of Mossel Bay. In 2020, the nearby Luiperd prospect in Block 11B/12B delivered more exciting news. The block, in the Outeniqua Basin 175km off the southern coast, covers an area of about 19 000km². The exploration
