adminMukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
The Government has drawn up a comprehensive plan to lower energy leakages under the recently approved National Energy Efficiency Policy.
Addressing journalists in Harare this week, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Professor Mthuli Ncube said the current leakage of around 18 percent is too high and unsustainable and should be reduced to below 10 percent.
In other jurisdictions, using energy more efficiently has turned out to be one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs and meet growing energy demand.
Prof Ncube said there will be a consultative approach to come up with a comprehensive approach and the consultations will include both domestic and industrial users.
“Stakeholders are being consulted, this policy aims to reduce transmission losses which is about 18 percent to under 10 percent through improved transmission technology as well as distribution of independent power producers across the country,” said Prof Ncube.
“We will also consult the residential domestic sector and the target there is to encourage them to do what we call fuel switching, it involves moving away from firewood for example and other less polluting sources of fuel.
“Efficient lighting is something as simple as you walk into this room and the switch turns on automatically as you walk in the moment you leave the door the switch cuts off so that you save power.
“So, those kinds of behavioural issues is what we are consulting stakeholders on,” said Prof Ncube.
He said at the industrial level they aim to provide a framework for setting targets relating to various energy efficiency interventions in the residential, commercial, mining, transport, agriculture and industrial sectors.
Prof Ncube said the policy which will follow a consultative approach from industry and domestic users will aim at addressing the extravagant energy consumption caused by outdated industrial equipment and the need to minimise fuel in automobiles.
“Then industries, some are using very old equipment which is not fuel efficient therefore we encourage them to upgrade their equipment to more energy efficient technology,” said Prof Ncube.
“The same applies to the mining sector, and agricultural sector using more efficient users of energy for irrigation for example.
“The transport sector, the big issue there is switching to battery technology in terms of automobiles, we are not doing it too quickly though because we do not want to lose jobs but that is the conversation going forward in terms of energy efficiency.
“Other countries have benefited from this targeted sector strategy and consultation,” said Prof Ncube.
Online Reporter