Biofuels strategy heads to cabinet
November 7, 2007
By Michael Hamlyn
Johannesburg - South Africa's biofuels strategy has been finalised by an interministerial committee which has suggested some changes, according to trade and industry minister Mandisi Mpahlwa.
Mpahlwa told a media briefing that some of the changes involved consideration of the need to maintain food security, and also the structure and length of incentives being offered to farmers and producers.
He said the revised strategy would now be submitted to cabinet for consideration. Only then, he said, would full details of the plan be made known.
There was, however a need to reduce dependence on coal-fired power stations and imported fuels, and the economic cluster of ministers had recognised this, saying there was a need to implement measures to achieve renewable energy targets.
The focus on energy arises from a cabinet lekgotla agreement in January of this year that energy has to be one of the major strategic issues for the cluster.
"Managing energy demand has assumed greater importance," Mpahlwa said, adding that the cluster was looking at ways to manage demand in the short term.
"A multimedia energy efficiency campaign has been completed," he said, "and a report on energy efficiency in the public sector will be completed this month."
He also said that a public education campaign was under way to encourage people to save energy.
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