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 potential ports for this project and Atlantis’ proximity to Saldanha will enable this. If this 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. Our Programme Director, Juliet Prowse, spoke to Cape Talk about the development of Atlantis and Saldanha as SEZs:
