With the Nuclear energy scandal going on in SA, the US government has just handed the Western Cape a R10 million grant. All in the pursuit of clean energy.
Nuclear this, Nuclear that! While the country as a whole may be caught in a potentially devastating Nuclear energy deal, the Western Cape is going about its own business. That business is clearly working as the US government has just handed over a R10 million grant.
The grant from the US’s Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will help the city’s bid to secure cleaner forms of energy.
The Western Cape government says Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) is a key component of a lowest cost energy scenario for the country. The grant will further develop the use of LNG in the province. A feasibility study is set to be carried out on the demand and potential impact of LNG importation at Saldanha Bay.
The study will provide “a preferred model for the importation of LNG for gas-to-power electricity generation capacity and for industrial, transportation, commercial, and domestic uses.”
GreenCape will administer the trust and will select a US firm to complete the study. The selection of a US firm to complete the study is required by the USTDA.
Alan Winde, the Western Cape minister for economic opportunities, said all the potential is there, it’s now time to utilise it.
“I would like to commend the USTDA for funding this initiative. We must reduce our reliance on coal and make better decisions for our environment, and our economic future. Natural gas has the potential to play a key role in our plan to grow our alternative energy sources and this study supports the Western Cape’s objective to secure a reliable and affordable energy supply.”
The USTDA said they were pleased to support the mutually beneficial project. The study is set to begin in early 2018.
With this news taking off, it really makes us even more nervous about that dodgy Nuclear deal. Treasury says we can’t afford it but Zuma still seems to be ploughing ahead.
