In a keynote address at a global liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) conference, South African Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe on Wednesday emphasized the need for expansion across all energy sources to meet the growing demand.
CAPE TOWN, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- In a keynote address at a global liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) conference, South African Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe on Wednesday emphasized the need for expansion across all energy sources to meet the growing demand.
The LPG Week 2024 conference, under the theme "Energy For All," is currently held at the Cape Town International Convention Center from Nov. 18 to 20, which brings together over 2,000 industry stakeholders and policymakers from more than 110 countries. Through dedicated conference sessions, interactive meetings and workshops, and a prominent global exhibition, it fosters discussions on practices and strategies to increase LPG adoption to achieve widespread access to clean energy.
In his address, Mantashe acknowledged the growing global pressure to phase out fossil fuels, while emphasizing that meeting rising energy demand requires the creation of a long-term and investment-friendly environment that benefits both 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 the energy that is environmentally sustainable by reducing emissions and pollution," said Mantashe.
He noted that substantial progress is being made on LPG usage in South Africa, as demonstrated by the steady increase in LPG sales and demand over the past 10 years.
Highlighting the reported increase in global demand for natural gas in 2024 and the expected surge in 2025 as forecasted in the latest edition of the International Energy Agency's Global Gas Security Review, Mantashe revealed that the South African government is currently moving swiftly to finalize 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.
The minister also called for greater inclusivity and the active participation of previously disadvantaged individuals in the industry. ■
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