By Larry Claasen
THE South African Petroleum Industry Association is going through a name change.
The organisation, which is a voluntary trade association that represents its members’ companies on common interests issues in the petroleum industry in South Africa, will now be known as the Fuel Industry Association of South Africa.
Fuel Industry Association of South Africa’s executive director Avhapfani “Fani” Tshifularo told Energy News Africa Plus that the change was to better reflect the organisation’s broadening focus beyond traditional petroleum, into a wider range of energy sources.
“The transition from The South African Petroleum Industry Association to The Fuel Industry Association of South Africa marks a critical evolution in our mission. It extends our reach across various types of energy solutions that will power both current and future mobility needs.”
The association was established in 1994 to represent the collective interests of the South African fuels industry. Its members include major fuel producers like BP, Shell and Sasol, as well as wholesales like Gulfstream and Easygas.
Tshifularo told Energy News Africa Plus that the rebranding was a response to environmental imperatives, such as the need to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector.
The association says it is supportive of the government’s Just Energy Transition programme. This commitment sees it support the development of liquid fuel standards for fuel derived from fossil-fuels, sustainable carbon sources like biogenic sources and green hydrogen.
The energy transition was one of the major topics of discussion at the group’s 30th Anniversary Conference held on 11 July 2024, in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The association said the world was undergoing an energy transition. This has seen an increased focus on a low-carbon economy to promote sustainability and mitigate the impacts of pollution on climate change.
For the transport sector, the “near-complete dependency” on fossil fuels would pose significant challenges to suppliers of such transportation energy, as well as consumers in the form of technology, to meet the requirements of all forms of transport.
