South Africa's largest liquefied petroleum gas storage facility is due to be ready for use by the end of 2014.
The project, aimed at reducing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortages that regularly hit Africa's largest economy, will cost about R1.2-billion, with imports coming from the Middle East, Gulf of Guinea and Angola.
"We will be commissioning the facility at the end of December 2014," said project director Barthlo Harmse, of Sunrise Energy, the company developing the site next to the Saldanha Bay port on the country's west coast.
Sunrise Energy is a joint venture between Ilitha Group and state-owned financier Industrial Development Corporation.
South Africa is diversifying its energy mix away from electricity to alleviate pressure on state utility Eskom, which is operating on razor-thin capacity.
An estimated 3% of the country's 49-million people use LPG and the intention is to have an additional one-million users over the next five years. – Reuters