The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies announced that at least 40 training workshops on energy management systems and energy systems optimisation have been completed countrywide by international experts thus far. 900 people attended the workshops. In addition, seven leading medium and large companies are currently pioneering the implementation of energy management systems within their operations.
Minister Davies was speaking at an international energy management and optimisation seminar that was hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) that took place on the sidelines of the United Nations Convention for Climate Change in Durban, today.
He said these were some of the milestones that have been achieved in the implementation of the Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) Project aimed at promoting industrial energy efficiency, energy management systems, energy standards development training and system optimisation for small and medium enterprise’s.
The IEE Project was introduced last year as a collaborative initiative between the South African government represented by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and the Department of Energy (DoE), and international partners; the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the then UK Department for International Development (DFID). The project is coordinated by UNIDO and is hosted by the dti’s National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa at the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research.
“The key value proposition of the project is to contribute to sustainable transformation of the way energy is used in South Africa. The project further supports national energy security, promotes job creation and reduces carbon dioxide emissions. It also facilitates the implementation of the new South African Energy Management Standard, ISO50001, and introduces for the first time a systems optimisation approach for South African industry,” said Davies.
The project also offers a number of opportunities to improve the competitiveness and strengthen the capacity of South African companies. It supports productivity increases, reduces production costs and takes advantage of new opportunities in the green economy. The IEE Project complements the Department of Energy’s initiatives to ensure sustainable energy supply, security and efficiency, and is also one of the pillars of the department’s energy efficiency campaign.
Minister Davies added that rising electricity and fuel prices and increasing commitments to reduce carbon emissions were increasing the need for the manufacturing sector to become more energy efficient, therefore presenting an opportunity to develop a market for more energy-efficient equipment and services.
“In order to cope with a number of serious challenges, including the rapidly escalating price of raw materials and of energy and the recent global economic and financial crises enterprises need to strengthen their capacity to compete, increase productivity, and reduce production costs. Effective energy management practices can contribute significantly to cost savings and competitiveness improvement. It is also a crucial climate change mitigation measure,” concluded Davies.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
