Expansion planned for Mozambique gas pipeline

Dec. 1, 2015
Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investments Co. (Rompco) plans a $210-million capacity expansion of the existing 865-km gas pipeline connecting the central processing facility (CPF) at Temane in Mozambique to Secunda in South Africa.

Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investments Co. (Rompco) plans a $210-million capacity expansion of the existing 865-km gas pipeline connecting the central processing facility (CPF) at Temane in Mozambique to Secunda in South Africa (OGJ Online, Feb. 7, 2008).

The project involves the installation of a pipeline parallel to the existing line from scraper station 1 (STS1)—which is about 128 km from the CPF—over a length of 127 km where it connects back into the main pipeline at scraper station 2.

Named Loop Line 2 (LL2), the expansion project further increases Rompco’s gas transmission capacity. Planned to come into operation early in 2017, it will initially transport gas to South Africa, but will be able to serve additional markets in Mozambique and South Africa as gas becomes available. Loop Line 1 (LL1), which extends from CPF to STS1, was commissioned in December 2014.

Established in 2004, Rompco is a joint venture of Sasol Ltd., Companhia Mocambicana de Gasoduto SA, and South African Gas Development Co. (SOC) Ltd. (iGas) (OGJ Online, Sept. 13, 2001; Feb. 26, 2004). It owns the pipeline through which the gas purchased from Mozambique is transported to South Africa and to Ressano Garcia in Mozambique.

Sasol says the LL1 and LL2 projects are aimed at addressing the increasing energy demands of the rapidly expanding Mozambican economy, which is seeing electricity demand growing by 14%/year.