South African Workshop Presentations
Two Visibility Workshops have been held on the 28 – 30 January 2010 and 2-4 March 2011 and a Partner & Training Workshop on the 15 – 22 March 2013.
2.1 Abstracts of South African Workshop (January 2010)
2.1.13 Accelerating Renewable Energy Deployment
Presenter:
Thembakazi Mali
South African National Energy Research Institute
South Africa is among the highest emitters of carbon dioxide in the world. More than 75% of primary energy requirement from fossil fuels. SA ranked 12th in the world in terms of top emitters.
There is an urgent need for:
- Reduce fossil fuel dependency
- Reduce carbon footprint
- Diversify our energy mix and supply
- Solution (no panacea)
- Renewable Energy – resources are abundant, sustainable, can be implemented quickly, offer more work opportunities and have a much lower impact on the environment.
South Africa’s demand of transport liquid fuels (petrol, diesel, jet fuel) in 2007 was 23 707 million litres, according to SAPIA. Eskom gas turbine power plants may have consumed 600 million litres, assuming 6hrs per day, 261 days, 7 turbines each 150MW. About 36 percent of total liquid fuels (petrol, diesel, jet fuel, paraffin, bitumen, fuel oil, LPG) demand is met by synthetic fuels (synfuels), which are produced locally, largely from coal and from natural gas. The petrol/diesel price in South Africa is linked to the price of crude oil in international markets. Crude oil prices combined with the Rand/Dollar exchange rate therefore have a major impact on petrol/diesel prices.
Drivers
- Increasing energy equity, reducing poverty and using energy for job creation
- Climate Change (Global warming, CO2 emissions)
- Energy supply diversification (Imbalance of reserves, Energy security)
- National Policy
- National target – Renewable Energy Production of 10 000 GWh by 2013 (was confirmed to be economically viable with subsidies and carbon financing)
- Biofuels Industrial Strategy 2007 – 2% penetration by 2013