Elemente van 'n energiebeleid vir Suid-Afrika

Inaugural lecture--Department of Energy Studies, Rand Afrikaans University, 27 September 1977@@Modern civilization is totally dependent on vast amounts of energy, mostly derived from fossil fuels. It now appears that the oil crisis of October 1973 was a warning of a far more serious energy crisis which is looming on the horizon. Substitutes for oil will have to be found. However, despite vast expenditures on research during the past few years, little success has been achieved in developing new sources of energy or in energy conservation. It appears that energy-importing countries of the West will remain critically dependent on oil supplies from the OPEC countries for at least the next decade. Beyond that new sources of energy will have to be utilized as oil production is likely to decline. In South Africa coal will remain the main domestic source of energy, while uranium will become increasingly important as a source of energy and foreign exchange. A plea is made for the introduction and implementation of an integrated National Energy Policy aimed at ensuring adequate and secure sources of energy at optimum prices. In this regard better utilization of our relatively low-grade coal resources will be of critical importance. In a geopolitical sense it appears that South Africa and Australia could become the major exporters of coal and uranium. Closer co-operation between these two countries is called for and it is suggested that more attention be given to resource diplomacy or the terms under which we should supply energy and minerals to the West.