Industrial gas major Air Liquide and energy company Sasol have secured the long-term supply of 97.5 MW (megawatts) of renewable power to Sasol’s Secunda site in South Africa after the signing of Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) with wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power.
The deal represents the third set of PPAs signed by Air Liquide and Sasol, adding a total of 580 MW to their renewable power capacity. According to Air Liquide, these contracts aim to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from oxygen production by 30% to 40% by 2031 at Secunda.
Having acquired Sasol’s 16 oxygen production units at the site since June 2021, Air Liquide produces a total capacity of 47,000 tonnes per day of oxygen from 17 units, making it the biggest oxygen production site in the world.
“Together with our long-term partner Sasol, we have secured massive amounts of renewable energy generation capacity,” said Nicolas Poirot, CEO of the Africa Middle East & India hub.
“This will significantly contribute to the decarbonisation of our operations in Secunda and actively support the development of renewable energies in South Africa, for the benefit of the South African electrical system and ultimately of the South African society in the context of a Just Transition.”
The agreement aligns with the company’s ADVANCE strategic plan, which focuses on four key priorities of financial performance, decarbonisation, technological innovation and actively engaging with stakeholders, customers and shareholders.
Renewable energies such as solar PV are set to play a key role in tackling South Africa’s energy crisis as the country’s power network continues to be plagued by persistent power outages – or ‘load shedding’.
Last November the European Investment Bank committed to a $413m investment scheme to support South African renewables development. This followed an announcement by South Africa that it would introduce a host of new measures aimed at tackling the country’s energy crisis.
This involves lifting a threshold for embedded generation, doubling capacity for the next bidding round and introducing a feed-in-tariff for rooftop solar.
Decarbonisation Summit 2024: Industrial Gases and Clean Energies 3.0
The global industrial gas and equipment business has an imperative role to play in the future of clean fuels and decarbonisation. The energy transition simply won’t happen without it.
At the same time, the industry has its own activities to decarbonise and circular economies to carve out – think green air gases and bio-based carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as CO2 utilisation and e-fuels, and so much more besides.
There are pathways to progress and questions to answer on this journey, not least:
- What are the compelling clean fuels and what do the pathways to production look like?
- How can the gases industry participate in this playground of opportunities?
- What are the tools and technologies that will accelerate decarbonisation?
- What can other alternative fuels mean for the CO2 industry and its stakeholders?
All of these questions and more will be in the spotlight at gasworld’s Decarbonisation Summit in April 2024. This is the Net Zero event for you, held in New York against the backdrop of the progressive US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and with the world’s gaze watching on.
Interested in speaking and contributing? Get in touch with our Content Director, Rob Cockerill, at [email protected]
To attend, sponsor and for more information, visit https://bit.ly/GWDECARB-S24
