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Address by Minister Mosibudi Mangena, at the launch of the South African National Energy Research Institute (Saneri)
2007-02-19 11:35
Johannesburg
Minister
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The Minister of Minerals and Energy, Ms Buyelwa Sonjica;
Directors-General of the Departments of Science and Technology and Minerals and Energy; The Management of the International Energy Agency; CEO’s of the Central Energy Fund and SANERI Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen In the past, the Energy sector in South Africa was given a level of research funding equivalent to what government was providing to the Medical Research Council for medical research. However, the results of such a significant level of funding were not evident in terms of its impact on the challenges that faced South Africa. Then, research funding was geared towards providing a minority with cheap and reliable energy, and in meeting the needs of the minerals-industrial complex. Today, our energy related challenges are much more demanding. We need to meet the energy needs of the poor and marginalised whilst supporting a growing and globally competitive economy. We need energy solutions that balance economic and social development without long-term negative impacts on our environment. My department, together with the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), have jointly established the South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) to address these challenges. The establishment of SANERI will support governments’ commitment to a sustainable energy future. Consequently, SANERI will have, as its primary objective, the advancement of public-interest energy research and development. Ladies and gentlemen, the continued democratisation of our society requires higher economic growth and social development. Increasing investment in energy research and development needs to be complemented by enhanced levels of commercialisation of these efforts. Therefore, there is a need for SANERI to enhance its interaction with the private sector when rolling out its programmes and initiatives. In addition, SANERI will need to rapidly implement a successful partnership model between government, academia and the private sector, which can focus our efforts and limited capacity on key Energy R&D challenges. In developing an energy research and development strategy, a key weakness that was identified was the paucity of human capital in key areas of focus. As a result, a key requirement for SANERI over the next decade is to make a significant contribution to human capital development. SANERI has been functional for less than a year, but I am pleased at the progress already being made in this regard. The multi-pronged strategy includes support for internships and post-graduate studies. It also includes the imminent appointment of Chairs of Energy Research. These will be located at various universities throughout the country, and will be a noteworthy step in the development of world-class cutting-edge energy research and national innovators. Allow me this opportunity to congratulate SANERI on the establishment of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Research and Development Hub at the University of Stellenbosch. The hub will support the development of a vibrant renewable and sustainable energy supply industry in South Africa. A noteworthy feature of the “National Hub for the Postgraduate Programme in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies” (its official name in full) is the inclusion of sustainable development and management into what is fundamentally an engineering programme. It is such initiatives that will boost the innovative capacity of our emerging scientists and engineers, and we anticipate the establishment of more of these building blocks for our sustainable energy future. We look forward to congratulating the first graduates of this programme. I am confident that in a few years time, we would have achieved the critical mass to establish a greater emphasis on renewable and sustainable energy solutions. Energy research, development and innovation that focus on efficient management of our natural resources can play a key role in our society in future. Researchers must assist in transforming the current energy system into a more sustainable one, making it less dependent on imported fuels. The end result should be a diverse mix of energy sources, especially renewable ones, energy carriers and non-polluting sources. In this way, energy efficiency, which includes improvements in the use and storage of energy, will be enhanced, thus addressing the pressing challenges of security of supply and climate change. Shifting from the human capital development focus, let me highlight three specific priorities of government that SANERI needs to factor into its plans. Firstly, there is a need for appropriate energy models if we are to avert a looming Southern African energy crisis as demand begins to outstrip supply in the SADC region. The challenges of energy supply facing the SADC region point the direction for governments’ commitment to energy planning and provision. In this regard, research on energy planning and modelling is included in the research and development strategy. Due to the urgency of this work, SANERI will be required to prioritise this work. Secondly, there has been much talk of an emerging Hydrogen Economy. SANERI is suitably placed to take advantage of such emerging research and development. These research and development challenges of the Hydrogen Economy are more than energy challenges. Problems of supply, storage and distribution need to be solved, and these issues require efforts in other research and development domains, such as the development of platinum catalysts. Effective co-ordination with other research efforts is crucial if we are to position South Africa as an important player in this regard. Whoever manages to conquer the challenges raised by the Hydrogen economy is well placed to influence the geopolitical stage. Thirdly, given the lack of natural oil resources in South Africa, and our economic dependence on the internal combustion engine, it is also critical that research and development into our liquid fuel supply is improved. I’m pleased to observe that one of the first Chairs of Energy Research that SANERI will award is that of the Biofuels Research. This should provide a strong foundation for further work in this area. Allow me to use this opportunity to also register our pride with the South African breakthrough on photo-voltaics by the University of Johannesburg, which was achieved through the support from my department’s Innovation Fund. Together with a group of Ministers, I have given firm commitment that we will be supporting the local demonstration and commercialisation flowing from the second license. SANERI has a key role to play in the demonstration. Over time, SANERI may have to develop the capability to conduct in-house research through the parliamentary allocation in the context of the energy industry development interest of our partner, the Department of Minerals and Energy. The DME is at the early stages of developing a new industry group of energy producers that will most likely need customised research and technology development support. It should be noted also that SANERI has been established as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Central Energy Fund, enhancing the opportunity space to develop any potential commercial spin-offs through the Energy Development Corporation of the CEF. My department, together with the Department of Minerals and Energy, have finalised an Energy Research and Development Strategy. SANERI will be the implementing agency of this research and technology development strategy, and we are confident that they will be successful in this task. In closing, please join me in congratulating the team and officials from the departments of Science and Technology and Minerals and Energy, who have worked tirelessly towards the realisation of SANERI. SANERI is a confirmation of South Africa’s readiness to contribute to global efforts on energy related technology-based initiatives. I thank you. |
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