DURBAN - Energy Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi says South Africa is not only looking at shifting to gas as an energy source locally, but to spread its trade and economic network in the SADC region.
Speaking at the opening of the three-day International Gas Cooperation summit currently underway in Durban, Kubayi said, "South Africa’s power, industrial and transportation sectors show great potential to contribute to a gas market development and we have done substantial gas demand analysis that indicates that the industrial and transport sectors represent 4 times the gas demand for power".
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Kubayi further explained that sourcing of gas from neighbouring countries such as Mozambique can result in a win-win situation, where piped gas will stimulate economic activity along the routing areas in both Mozambique and South Africa.
According to Kubayi, the SADC member countries have collectively and individually committed to speed up the implementation of energy infrastructure development projects.
In South Africa, the National Development Plan recognises the important role of gas in the energy mix, representing government's wide commitment to a gas economy, Kubayi added.
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The International Gas Cooperation summit is a platform which was established to build and develop an energy hub for gas cooperation with international partners along the gas value chain.