Sasol CEO Simon Baloyi has confirmed that the JSE-listed group has applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) for an electricity trading licence, and is also planning to take equity positions in renewable-energy projects in future. In an interview with Engineering News, which came as Nersa moved to finalise trading rules and Eskom mounted a legal challenge against the regulator’s decision to license five domestic traders in 2024, Baloyi said a trading licence would offer it flexibility as a large procurer and potential direct investor in renewables.
Energy and chemicals group Sasol reports that construction of its coal destoning plant has been completed and that the facility, which should be ramped up to full production by December, is producing coal with a ‘sinks’ content (rock fragments or other impurities) of between 0% and 1.5%. The brownfield project has involved a repurposing of the Twistdraai export coal plant and an investment of less than R1-billion.