SA must become energy efficient

"It is clear that we cannot continue on a wasteful path as we have been on. We all know that an economy cannot grow without energy but that does not mean inefficient use of energy," said Aphane, who was delivering a speech prepared for Energy Minister Dipuo Peters at an event ahead of the launch of the Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement Project Launch (IEE). He said the global economy was faced with serious decisions that it would have to make.

IEE was introduced by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) following rolling energy blackouts in 2008. The project is a collaboration between the Departments of Energy, Trade and Industry (dti), the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the UK Department for International Development.

The project - which currently focuses on five industry sectors - namely agro-processing, chemicals and liquid fuels, metals processing and engineering among others - aims to provide a framework for businesses to follow when becoming energy efficient.

Energy efficiencies will boost competitiveness

Executive director at the department, Dr Tshenge Demana, said work done by the department had demonstrated the importance of industrial energy efficiency in industrial competitiveness.

"Energy intensity reductions in the manufacturing sector especially, leads to superior productivity and therefore contributes positively to the national industrial competitiveness," he said.

In the past few years energy costs have become a significant portion of production costs for the manufacturing sector. Demana said in order for the industry to achieve better ratios of energy intensity in production a change was necessary.

He said the programme created a framework of measurement standards, codes of conduct and other support measures. Previous work of the National Cleaner Production Centre, which hosts the project, has demonstrated that it is important to implement an open programme - a programme where large and medium sized businesses are participants.

Countdown to COP17

Currently, South Africa is counting down the days to hosting the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change which kicks off on 28 November in Durban.

South Africa is the 11th highest carbon emitter, with the energy sector contributing a lot towards emissions.

"Industrial energy efficiency can be a significant contributor to climate change mitigation," said Demana.

IEE national project manager Gerswynn McKuur said the project had four focus areas - including creating an enabling policy framework so that industry can implement energy efficiency measures as well as the introduction and implementation of standards.

"The project has been on-going for the past 18 months," he explained, adding that the department of energy has approached the IEE to assist in the reviewing of the National Efficiency Strategy of which the process has come to an end with a draft strategy now with the department.

Over 900 people have been skilled in the energy management system while seven large companies have been recruited to implement energy management systems within their operations.

The project will be launched in December.