MFLFF Workgroup - Pipeline Sector

Background

Pipelines were identified in the National Freight Logistics Strategy as a transport mode that must receive the necessary attention and analysis to be brought into the freight transport policy mainstream, due to its importance of providing the "track" for freight movement in the form of fuel and due to its ability to transport gas (in liquid form), liquids and solids-in-suspension.

At the time of the launch of the NFLS, the majority of pipelines ran through the eastern part of the country, comprising mostly of kwaZulu-Natal and to a smaller degree, the western District Municipality of Gert Sibande in Mpumalanga provinces.

 

Pipelines in Mpumalanga

The construction of an 865 km new gas pipeline running from the Temane and Pande gasfields near Maotize in Mozambique to South Africa via Komatipoort was completed in 2004. It runs from the Komatipoort border to Sasol's plant in Secunda. In its first year of full service in 2005, it transported 54 million gigajoules of natural gas. (Source: Mpumalanga Freight Transport Databank)

Other pipelines include the Secunda to Volksrust (and onwards to Durban) gas pipeline, a network of refined products pipelines running from Sasolburg in the Freestate to Witbank via Secunda and a crude-oil pipeline running from Vrede in the Freestate province to Kendal via Secunda.

Further developments are underway after it was announced in March 2007 that a licence was granted to Pertoline RSA (Pty.) Ltd. to build a liquid petroleum pipeline from the Kopmatipoort border with Mozambique to Kendal (situated in between Delmas and Ogies) in Mpumalanga, via the province's capitol, Nelspruit, in a 50/50 joint venture with Petroline SARL of Mozambique, which is responsible for the petroluem pipeline from the Port of Matola in Maputo to Komatipoort. As a nearer port to Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo provinces than Durban, the pipeline is expected to reduce the cost of transportation of fuel to the South African hinterland. It is expected to be completed by mid-2008.

Discussions are also underway for the construction of a second pipeline from Maputo which will provide Mpumalanga's coal mines with desalinated water.

 

MFLF Objectives

At the formation of the Mpumalanga Freight Logistics Forum, it was decided that the MFLF Workgroup would form a Pipeline Sector on an ad-hoc basis. As the Petrochemical Industry is regulated by the Department of Minerals and Energy, the NFLS identifies interdepartmental cooperation in this regard as a pre-requisite. The MFLF Workgroup Pipeline Sector is in its conceptual / formative stages and will be incorporated into the MFLF once clearly defined objectives for the integration thereof within the NFLS has been determined