Cape Town: Government is ‘moving with the necessary speed’ to finalise South Africa’s draft Gas Master Plan. This is according to Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, who spoke at the LPG Week Conference held in Cape Town.

According to South African Government News Agency, the master plan seeks to ensure South Africa’s ‘security of gas supply by diversifying supply options from both local and international markets. It outlines the role of natural gas in the context of energy mix and provides policy direction to the industry in South Africa’.

In his speaking notes, Mantashe highlighted that gas is ‘poised to play a catalytic role in providing an effective solution to household’s thermal requirements, thereby reducing the heavy reliance on traditional methods for cooking and space heating’.

‘Mindful of the increased global demand for natural gas in 2024 and the expected upsurge in 2025…our government is moving with the necessary speed to finalise the country’s Gas Master Plan. Having
addressed all stakeholder comments on the draft plan, we are now running the final model for the plan which will outline the role of natural gas within the context of our energy mix and give us indicators of the sources of gas and what infrastructure needs are there, and to be developed by when,’ he said.

Richards Bay, Ngqura, and Saldanha Bay are among the areas that have been ‘set aside for the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) port terminals, thereby strategically positioning our country to capitalise on recent gas discoveries in the southern market’.

Mantashe explained that as energy costs and demand are poised to increase, diversification of sources is essential – which the South African government is committed to.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries estimates that ‘global energy demand is set to expand by 24% in the period to 2050…and that all primary fuels are set to increase with the largest increase expected to come from renewables, the second largest increase from natural gas, and sig
nificant increases are expected from oil, nuclear, and hydro’.

‘[The] outlook highlights the need for expansion in all energy sources to meet the growing energy demand. It implores on energy stakeholders and policymakers to join forces and establish a long-term investment-friendly environment that benefits both the developed and developing nations. For its part, the South African government remains committed to advancing policies that endorse a diversified energy mix to provide reliable and efficient energy service at competitive rates and that is socially equitable through expanded access to energy at affordable tariffs, as well as energy that is environmentally sustainable by reducing emissions and pollution,’ he said.