Old Mutual Fund Says South Africa Needs Gas as a Transition Fuel

A key funder of South Africa’s renewable energy drive is backing natural gas as the fuel needed to help the country bridge the transition from coal power generation to the use of wind and solar.

Old Mutual Ltd.’s African Infrastructure Investment Managers will consider funding companies that compete for the right to produce 3,000 megawatts of electricity from gas in an upcoming bid round planned by the government, said Vuyo Ntoi, co-managing director of the $2 billion fund.

“We believe gas is an excellent transition fuel from coal-heavy generation to renewables,” Ntoi said in an interview last week. ...