Saldanha earthquake no great shake

19 NOVEMBER 2020: SALDANHA EARTHQUAKE NO GREAT SHAKE FOR LOCAL SUNRISE ENERGY GAS TERMINAL

Sunrise Energy can confirm that, although tremors were detected near its liquid natural gas terminal at Saldanha Bay as a result of the 3,5-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, the facility continues to safely operate at full capacity.

Completed in 2017, the terminal was specifically designed to withstand natural disasters, and it has performed exceptionally well through the latest quake and those recorded in September and October. And since experts cannot rule out similar seismic activity in the future, safety is a paramount concern for Sunrise Energy, the port, and the local community.

Sunrise Energy operates the modern, efficient LPG terminal at the Port of Saldanha under an exclusive concession granted by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) in terms of Section 56 of the National Ports Act. The terminal is fully compliant with the various licenses and permissions granted under maritime and environmental legislation, amongst others. The highly sophisticated facility uses world-class technology and is designed to meet international safety standards.

In fact, the findings of the comprehensive 2019 Safety, Health, Environment and Process audit conducted by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), released in September 2020, confirmed that Sunrise Energy successfully and proactively met all rigorous audit criteria. This audit focused on the terminal design, its built-in safety features and redundancies, as well as the processes and policies in place to ensure safety protocols are adhered to at all times. As a result of its exemplary safety protocols, the terminal had no ‘lost time’ injuries over its nearly four years in operation.

Sunrise Energy has always been committed to the safety of the local community. This principle has guided the founding and its conduct of its own business. It has also inspired its efforts to ensure that the broader Port area remains safe for all users and nearby communities.

To that end, Sunrise Energy has drawn the attention of the authorities to the threat posed by the dangerous ship-to-truck off-loading activities of LPG importer Avedia Energy in the port at Saldanha. There have already been incidents with these operations and it is critical that they are terminated before a serious incident occurs, devastating the local community.

We are currently awaiting the results of the 2020 audit, and we look forward to many more years of safe service to the benefit of LPG consumers in the province and the country.