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South Africa ready to expand trade with Russia through liquefied gas import — minister

In December 2023, the government of South Africa approved the African division of Russia’s Gazprombank, Gazprombank Africa, as a partner on the upgrade of this facility, which was put on hold in 2020

PRETORIA, July 12. /TASS/. The Republic of South Africa (RSA) is interested in expanding trade with Russia, including through possible import of liquefied gas, South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe said.

"We would like to boost trade with Russia," he said at hearings in the parliament on budget of his ministry. "We are a BRICS member and we should feel free to import Russian gas," the minister added.

According to the local radio station SABC, Russian gas may flow to the South African company PetroSA’s refinery in the city of Mossel Bay in the country’s south. In December 2023, the government of South Africa approved the African division of Russia’s Gazprombank, Gazprombank Africa, as a partner on the upgrade of this facility, which was put on hold in 2020.

Gazprombank won an international tender on modernization of the plant in Mossel Bay as it presented the most efficient investment program estimated at 3.7 bln rand ($204 mln). The country’s authorities consider the restart of the facility in Mossel Bay as a prior project in the area of national energy.

No large natural gas field is being developed now in the republic. It imports natural gas mainly from Mozambique and Qatar. Meanwhile the government intends to turn a large part of operating thermal plants from coal to gas, which will increase the country’s demand for it multi-fold.

Anti-Russian sanctions

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