South Africa has opened the bidding process for the development of a small-to-medium-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal at the Port of East London, as the country seeks to attract private investment in energy infrastructure and respond to future demand in the Eastern Cape.
The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) issued a request for proposals on Sept. 16 for the appointment of a private terminal operator to develop the facility. The successful bidder will be responsible for designing, financing, developing, constructing, operating and maintaining the terminal before transferring the infrastructure to the port authority at the end of a 25-year concession.
The terminal will be built on a greenfield site of about 8,900 square metres in the West Bank precinct of the port. The site is located near the port's grain elevator and liquid bulk berth and has access to both road and rail infrastructure.
The planned facility will be designed to handle small- to medium-scale LNG imports and will include the operational and safety systems required for the handling of the fuel. It is expected to serve LNG customers and industrial users in the Eastern Cape while creating opportunities for new industries and trade.
The project follows an earlier expression-of-interest process during which TNPA said it received strong interest from potential operators of LNG infrastructure. The authority said the response indicated market interest in developing an LNG facility at the port.
East London port manager Dr. Sphiwe Mthembu said the project is intended to attract private-sector investment, strengthen strategic energy infrastructure and support the port's role in regional economic development.
The tender is part of a broader push by TNPA to bring private-sector participation into South Africa's port infrastructure. LNG projects are being developed at several ports as the country seeks to expand access to natural gas and establish infrastructure capable of supporting industrial users.
East London's project comes alongside larger LNG developments elsewhere in the country. At the Port of Richards Bay, TNPA signed a 25-year terminal operator agreement in 2025 with Zululand Energy Terminals for the development of a large-scale LNG import terminal.
TNPA has also moved forward with an LNG project at the Port of Ngqura, in the Eastern Cape. The authority signed a 25-year terminal operator agreement earlier in 2026 with Ukwanda LNG for the development of an onshore LNG regasification facility.
For East London, the new terminal would add LNG-handling capacity to the port and provide infrastructure aimed at serving smaller-scale and industrial demand in the region.
Companies interested in the concession have until Feb. 22, 2027, to submit their proposals. A non-compulsory briefing session for potential bidders is scheduled for Sept. 29, 2026.
