The South African government plans to finalize and approve its biofuels blending regulatory framework before the end of March 2019.
Engineering News reported yesterday that government would introduce certainty about biofuels as a means to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the publication, Department of Energy (DoE) Chief Director of Energy Planning Thabang Audat said in a speech that the country’s biofuels policy is aimed at reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuel resources like crude oil.
“We anticipate that the use of biofuels will results in less greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants common within conventional fossil fuels,” he said.
The DoE wants oil companies to allow local farmers to farm biofuel products to blend into fuel to make it cleaner, he said, adding that government was targeting 2 percent of the country’s fuel consumption needs.
South African Energy Minister Jeff Radebe has noted that the regulatory framework has three pillars; the first being the mandatory purchase of biofuels by petroleum manufacturers in accordance with the Mandatory Blending Regulation of Biofuels with Petrol and Diesel, which came into effect in October 2015.
The second pillar is the Biofuels Feedstock Protocol, which will regulate and approve biofuels feedstock plans that prioritizes rain fed crop production, and, the third pillar will publish standards for biofuels in transport fuel, as well as fuel specifications for blended fuel.