Atlantis & Saldanha Bay: Infrastructure, Investment and Incentives

Saldanha Bay was identified as a Strategic Integrated Project in 2012 and, since then, both Saldanha and Atlantis have received investment for infrastructure development from public and private investors. Both developments fall under the West Coast Industrial Plan; Saldanha as an oil and gas servicing hub and Atlantis as a renewable energy hub with the pending allocation as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

With an additional focus on the Gas (LNG) to Power programme, Saldanha has been identified as one of three ports for a key project in conjunction with Atlantis. If the project goes ahead, it will include the building of an additional power station next to – and the retrofitting of – Ankerlig which currently operates on diesel.  As the West Coast has both water and electricity constraints, careful consideration is being taken with these projects, as well as skills development to service new industries.

Join us as we hear from Herman Jonker, Portfolio Manager: Cape Catalyst at the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT); Mike Mulcahy, CEO of GreenCape; Laura Peinke, Executive: Business Development at the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ) and Nico Walters, Head of Strategy at Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).

About our Speakers

• Herman Jonker joined the Western Cape Government’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism in 2001. His early work resulted in the formation of the South African Oil and Gas Alliance two years later. He is also an expert in the marine related engineering sectors and has been closely involved in both industry strategy and policy formulation. Herman is a key member of the economic infrastructure unit, Cape Catalyst, where his focus has been on key project developments, specifically in port related industrial and logistics development.

• Mike Mulcahy is the CEO of the GreenCape Sector Development Agency. The Agency facilitates investment into the green economy in the Western Cape in South Africa. Since its establishment in 2010 there has been over R17bn in investment into the region resulting in 3000 jobs. GreenCape is the project management office to establish a GreenTech Special Economic Zone in Atlantis, in the city of Cape Town.

• Laura Peinke joined the SBIDZ in 2012. Under her current responsibilities, she assists in implementing the joint MOU with the Department of Energy in support of the Gas-to-Power IPP Programme, as well as a number of port concessions together with Transnet in support of Oil & Gas Services infrastructure in the Port of Saldanha Bay. She works on the task team together with the Departments of Energy and Mineral Resources in developing the country’s Phased Gas Pipeline Network and the dti on both the Oil & Gas Local Content Task Team.

• Nico Walters is the General Manager responsible for Strategy at Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA). He has been involved in various projects related to rail and port management and operations, strategy development, strategic planning, port infrastructure development and is currently responsible for the execution of Operation Phakisa, a government initiative to unlock the economic potential of South Africa’s oceans.