TNPA opens bidding for 25-year East London LNG port project

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has opened a tender for a private terminal operator to develop and run a small-to-medium-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at the Port of East London under a 25-year concession, as demand for natural gas grows in the Eastern Cape.

The successful bidder will be responsible for designing, financing, developing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the terminal before transferring it to the TNPA at the end of the concession. The project is planned for a greenfield site of approximately 8 900m² in the port’s West Bank precinct.

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East London port manager Dr Sphiwe Mthembu says the project is intended to attract private-sector investment and expand the port’s infrastructure.

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“This initiative represents a significant milestone in unlocking new investment opportunities within the port,” Mthembu says.

TNPA says the project follows “strong market response” to its Expression of Interest process from potential terminal operators, indicating interest in developing LNG infrastructure at the port.

The terminal is intended to handle small- to medium-scale LNG imports and serve niche LNG consumers and industrial users in the Eastern Cape.

The successful operator will also be responsible for the terminal’s associated operational and safety systems. The TNPA says the development forms part of its strategy to diversify port infrastructure in response to future energy demand in the Eastern Cape.

Mthembu says the terminal is expected to support strategic energy infrastructure while creating opportunities for new industries and trade.

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The project is also expected to generate direct and indirect employment in the Eastern Cape.

A non-compulsory briefing session is scheduled for 29 September 2026 at 10:00am. Proposals close on 22 February 2027, with the RFP documents available through National Treasury.

*Phenyo Selinda is a Moneyweb intern

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