South African petrochemical group Sasol and the governments of South Africa and Mozambique will invest US$120 million to build a new pipeline that will be operational in 2017, the Rompco company announced.

This company – Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investment Company (Rompco) – is a partnership between the Sasol group, Companhia Moçambicana de Gasoduto and South Africa’s Gas Development Company (SOC) Limited (iGas).

The addition of this new pipeline, with a length of 127 kilometres, will allow South Africa to receive 212 million gigajoules of gas, compared to 188 million gigajoules curently, by sending natural gas to the South African group from the Pande and Temane fields in Inhambane province.

Construction of the first pipeline, called “Loop Line 1”, cost US$200 million, and Louis Bosch, Director-General of Rompco, said in a statement that the new pipeline or “Loop Line 2” represents the company’s commitment to invest in development of Mozambique’s infrastructure, as well as the use of local suppliers.

The new pipeline will run parallel to part of the first pipeline, which is 865 kilometres long and links the Temane gas field to the Sasol plant in Secunda, South Africa. (macauhub/MZ)