Excluding natural gas from energy ‘irresponsible’ for Africa: NTCSA chair Priscillah Mabelane

09 October 2024 - 13:01
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Natural gas is available in abundance and is reliable, says National Transmission Company of South Africa chair Priscillah Mabelane. Stock photo.
Natural gas is available in abundance and is reliable, says National Transmission Company of South Africa chair Priscillah Mabelane. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF.COM

National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) chair Priscillah Mabelane says ignoring natural gas as part of the R112bn grid investment the entity planned to make in the energy sector would be “irresponsible”.

Speaking at the 2024 Africa Oil Week in Cape Town on Wednesday, Mabelane said natural gas was available in abundance, reliable and represented a bridge to a more sustainable future for economies around the world bolstered with renewable energy.

“Africa is endowed with tremendous resources, both natural and human capital, that [can] propel us into [a] cleaner, more sustainable future. Our potential in renewable energy, solar, wind and hydropower is immense,” she said.

“But in the context of Africa’s development, we must also acknowledge the role of natural gas. It would be irresponsible of us not to do that. Natural gas has to be part of our energy transition conversation, even if it is only as a transitional fuel.”

Mabelane reminded delegates the NTCSA board approved R112bn in grid investment over the next five years to allow nearly 30GW of new utility-scale generation capacity, including gas, to come online by the end of 2029. About 11GW of this is targeted to be realised in the next two years

“Africa’s energy transition is not a reflection of the Global North’s transition. It is different. We are unique. For us, the priority is not only about reducing emissions, but providing affordable, reliable energy and electricity to the 600-million people living in sub-Saharan Africa.”

She said the reality that 600-million of the 760-million people in the world who live with no access to electricity are on the African continent was untenable but also presented an opportunity for untapped development potential.

“It saddens me deeply that today, in many parts of Africa, this is the reality for millions of people, Our abundance in minerals, hydropower and gas, to mention a few, and the growing potential in renewable energy, the struggle for renewable and affordable energy persist. It is a stark reminder of the inequalities we must overcome and the urgency with which we must act. It can’t take us another five decades to be talking about the same issues every year. We are standing at a crossroads.”

Mabelane said African economies needed market-designed reforms and commitment to fast-tracking the delivery of oil and gas projects. She said the NTCSA was at the forefront of power market reforms and enabling a competitive electricity market through transmission access to the grid.

“We cannot afford to wait. We need to increase the scale and pace of projects at investment. Government, private sector players and development banks must come together to streamline processes, remove red tape and create environments that are conducive for investment.”

At the same session, mineral resources and energy director-general Jacob Mbele cited the International Energy Agency report on requirements to meet net zero emissions globally, which said some technologies that will help the world achieve net zero have not been developed yet.

Business Times


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