South Africa: Authorities warm up to fracking as nuclear alternative
15 March 2012
IOL Business Report - March 15, 2012
In another signal that South African authorities are warming to the need to exploit local reserves of shale gas, the National Planning Commission said yesterday that it saw natural gas providing “a rising share” of the energy mix because it was likely to be cheaper than exploring nuclear power options.
It warned, however, that steps had to be taken to ensure that environmental safeguards were firmly put in place.
The commission, which is an advisory body to the South African government, also believes that South Africa’s abundance of coal sources means that this form of energy cannot be ignored in the future, but argues that it should be exploited as efficiently and cleanly as possible.
Category: Energy