Appointment of a terminal operator to design, finance, develop, construct, operate, maintain and transfer a small to medium scale lng import terminal at the port of east london (25-Year concession)

TNPA is appointing a terminal operator to design, finance, develop, construct, operate, maintain and transfer a small to medium scale LNG import terminal at the Port of East London for a 25-year concession period, in accordance with section 56 of the National Ports Act.

RFP issue date: 15 September 2026

Non-compulsory briefing and site visit: 29 September 2026 (time not stated; attendance recommended)

Close for bidder questions: 29 January 2027

Bid submission date: 22 February 2027 at 16:00 (CAT)

A non-compulsory briefing session and site visit will be held on 29 September 2026. Bidders must register as per the RFP instructions. Attendance is recommended but not compulsory.

Contact details are not provided in the extract. All requests for clarification must be submitted in writing by 29 January 2027, following the contact policy in the RFP.

Submission method: electronic only, via the TNPA e-tender portal. Uploads are limited to 30MB per file; multiple uploads are permitted. Bidders should submit at least one day before the closing date to avoid technical issues; TNPA accepts no liability for late submissions due to internet or upload problems.

Returnable documents (all must be completed, signed and submitted):

• Annexure Z (Bid Response Form) – the main bid form.
• Annexure J (TNPA Declaration of Bidder) – declarations about the bidder.
• Annexure U (Declaration of Interest) – discloses any interest or connection to TNPA/state.
• Annexure FF (Tax Clearance Requirements) – proof of tax compliance.
• Annexure K (Resolution of Board of Directors) – authorises the signatory to bind the bidder.
• Annexure L (Resolution of Each Member) – for consortium/SPV members.
• Annexure S (B-BBEE Verification Certificate) – B-BBEE status evidence.
• Annexure F (Breach of Law Form) – declares no breach of law.
• Annexure H (Supplier Integrity Pact) – anti-corruption commitment.
• Annexure DD (Certificate of Acquaintance with the RFP Documents) – confirms reading the RFP.
• Annexure HH (Certificate of Acquaintance with the Conditions of Contract) – confirms understanding of contract terms.
• Annexure KK (Certificate of Attendance of RFP Briefing) – if attending the briefing.
• Annexure V (Concession Fee Offer) – the fee offer.
• Annexure G (Lenders Support Letter) – if using external debt.
• Annexure AA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) – confidentiality undertaking.

Disqualification risks:

• Any essential or mandatory returnable document omitted or unsigned.
• Submission after the closing time.
• Misrepresentation or incorrect information.
• Collusive bidding or corrupt practices.

Evaluation is staged as set out in Part III of the RFP:

• Stage 1: Qualification criteria (administrative and substantive responsiveness).
• Stage 2: Evaluation criteria (functionality and preference points under the PPPFA).
• Part IV: Objective criteria.
• A Best and Final Offer (BAFO) stage may follow.

Preference point system: 80/20 or 90/10 as per the PPPFA (exact split not stated in the extract).

Minimum qualifying score: not stated in the extract.

Scope: Design, finance, develop, construct, operate, maintain and transfer a small to medium scale LNG import terminal at the Port of East London.

Concession period: 25 years (including development period).

Key requirements:

• Compile concept designs (clause 6).
• Provide a construction programme, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of terminal equipment and associated infrastructure (clause 7).
• Operate and maintain the terminal (clause 8).
• Hand over and transfer the terminal to TNPA at the end of the concession (clause 10).
• Operate on a common-user, non-discriminatory, open-access (third-party access) basis (clause 12).
• Comply with the Draft Terminal Operator Performance Standards (Annexure E) and Guidelines for Terminal Operator Performance (Annexure X).
• Obtain all necessary environmental consents, including an Environmental Impact Assessment (Annexure Y).

Bidders must compile concept designs (clause 6) and provide a construction programme, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of terminal equipment and associated infrastructure (clause 7). Operation and maintenance requirements are detailed in clause 8.

Bidders must demonstrate their experience and capacity (clause 27), including information about the bidder, key personnel, and past projects as required in the RFP response forms (Annexure CC).

The terminal must be constructed, installed, tested and commissioned to obtain a Completion Certificate issued by the Independent Certifier. Performance must meet the Draft Terminal Operator Performance Standards (Annexure E) and Guidelines for Terminal Operator Performance (Annexure X).

The Concession Fee Offer (Annexure V) is a key component of the bid and will be evaluated. The offer must be submitted as part of the bid response.

Concession Fee Offer: Bidders must submit a Concession Fee Offer as part of the bid response (Annexure V). The offer is evaluated as part of the evaluation criteria.

Preferred Bidder Guarantee: A guarantee in the form of Annexure W is required from the preferred bidder (clause 34).

Bid documentation fee: A fee is payable (clause 34) – amount not stated in the extract.

Financing: Bidders must demonstrate funding capacity, including equity and/or debt. A Lenders Support Letter (Annexure G) is required if external debt is used.

Eligibility:

• Must be legally capable of entering into the Terminal Operator Agreement.
• Must not be in breach of law (Annexure F).
• Must comply with the Supplier Integrity Pact (Annexure H).
• Must have a valid tax clearance (Annexure FF).
• Must comply with the Transnet Preferential Procurement Policy (Annexure MM).

B-bbee:

• Must submit a B-BBEE Verification Certificate (Annexure S).
• B-BBEE requirements are part of the socio-economic objectives (clause 25).

CIDB grading: Not applicable (not a construction tender in the traditional sense).

CSD registration: Not explicitly stated in the extract.

B-BBEE requirements are part of the socio-economic objectives (clause 25). Bidders must submit a B-BBEE verification certificate (Annexure S) and comply with the Transnet Preferential Procurement Policy (Annexure MM).

Bidders must comply with the Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Policy (Annexure P) and the TNPA Security Policy (Annexure R). Occupational health and safety obligations are governed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993.

Bidders must obtain all necessary environmental consents, including an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as per Annexure Y. Compliance with NEMA and other environmental laws is required.

The Terminal Operator Agreement will be concluded for a concession period of 25 years, including the development period. Key terms include:

• Handover and transfer obligations at the end of the concession.
• Common-user principle, non-discrimination, and open access (third-party access).
• The agreement is in the form of the Draft Terminal Operator Agreement (Annexure M).
• TNPA has the right to modify the project, reject bids, and cancel the award if information is misrepresented.
• Bidders must comply with the Supplier Integrity Pact and no-collusion rules.

Electronic submissions must be made at least a day before the closing date to avoid technical issues. Uploads are limited to 30MB per file; multiple uploads are permitted. TNPA is not liable for technical challenges.

Bidders must meet the qualification criteria in Part II, including administrative and substantive responsiveness tests. Eligibility considerations are in clause 29. All essential and mandatory returnable documents (Annexures N and O) must be submitted.

Evaluation is staged: Stage 1 (qualification), Stage 2 (evaluation criteria), and Part IV (objective criteria). A BAFO stage may follow. The evaluation considers functionality and preference points under the PPPFA.

RFP briefing: 27 March 2023 (time and venue not stated). Attendance is mandatory. Closing date: 22 February 2027 at 16:00.

RFP briefing: 27 March 2023 (time and venue not stated). Attendance is mandatory, evidenced by the Certificate of Attendance (Annex KK).

No contact details are provided in the document. Submission is via the Transnet E-Tenders Portal at transnetetenders.azurewebsites.net.

Submission is via the Transnet E-Tenders Portal only. Bidders must register on the portal and submit an intent to bid before the closing date. Upload tender documents through the portal; each file may be up to 30MB, and multiple files may be uploaded. Ensure a stable internet connection. Do not wait until the last minute — complete the process at least 24 hours before closing. Returnable documents include the Certificate of Attendance of RFP Briefing (Annex KK), which must be completed and submitted.

Bidders must be registered on the Transnet E-Tenders Portal and submit an intent to bid. Attendance at the RFP briefing is mandatory, evidenced by the Certificate of Attendance (Annex KK). Bidders must comply with the National Ports Act and the Ports Regulator's tariff methodology. No specific pre-qualification thresholds (e.g., CSD, B-BBEE, CIDB) are stated in the provided document.

The scope is the appointment of a terminal operator to design, finance, develop, construct, operate, maintain and transfer a small to medium scale LNG import terminal at the Port of East London. The concession period is 25 years. The terminal must comply with the National Ports Act and the Ports Regulator's tariff methodology. The tariff methodology for 2024/25–2026/27 sets out the regulatory framework for port tariffs, including the Revenue Requirement approach, RAB calculation, WACC, and related components.

The tariff methodology includes detailed technical approaches: Revenue Requirement formula, RAB calculation and adjustment, depreciation methods, inflation trending, CWIP treatment, working capital, WACC (Vanilla), cost of equity (CAPM), risk-free rate, market risk premium, gearing, cost of debt, taxation, OPEX, claw-back mechanism, ETIMC, volume forecasting, and WEGO calculations.

The tariff methodology describes how port tariffs are set, including the Revenue Requirement formula, RAB, WACC, depreciation, and claw-back mechanisms. Payment terms reference payment certificates and completion certificates. No specific bid security, bonds, or guarantees are stated in the provided document.

Safety, environmental and compliance related capital expenditure must be presented separately in tariff applications. Maintenance includes temporary repairs or servicing for immediate health, safety and security reasons.

The concession period is 25 years. The terminal operator must design, finance, develop, construct, operate, maintain and transfer the LNG import terminal. The tariff methodology for 2024/25–2026/27 sets out the regulatory framework for port tariffs, including the Revenue Requirement approach, RAB calculation, WACC, and related components.