South Africa's first onshore LNG producer Renergen ups output by 22%

South Africa’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer, Renergen has reported a 21.97% increase in output to 1,371 tonnes (t) from the previous quarter's production of 1,124t.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange and ASX-listed firm started producing LNG in November 2022 and dispatched its first commercial shipment of helium in mid-March 2025 from its Virginia project in central South Africa.

In a quarterly report on April 1, Renergen said it has also made its first export of helium. 

“Post the period in review, the long-awaited event of filling a helium container with liquid has now occurred. We've implemented an alternate solution after facing challenges in cooling large iso-containers to the extreme temperatures needed for liquid helium storage (-269 degrees Celsius) in order to demonstrate the capability to produce and export product from the facility,” Renergen noted.

The company said it is working on a “comprehensive liquidity solution” which should enable the timely completion of phase one in order to ramp the facility up to name plate capacity of 2,560 metric million British Thermal Units and 75,000 cubic feet of helium daily at the onshore Virginia project.  It anticipates conclusion of the negotiations “in the coming weeks.”

Renergen said it is seeking a waiver on a $40mn US International Development Finance Corporation loan it has struggled to repay. By February 28, the outstanding principal amount of the facility was $29.60mn.