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Thumbs up for SA biofuel
07/12/2006 12:43 - (SA)
Cape Town - Cabinet has approved a draft industrial strategy for biofuel, which has the potential to contribute up to three-quarters of South Africa's renewable energy needs in the near future.
The capital investment required would be about R6bn, government communications head Themba Maseko told a post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday.
"Cabinet noted the country has the potential to produce biofuels which could contribute up to 75% of our renewable energy by 2013, without negatively impacting on food security or requiring excessive support," he said.
This could be achieved by using excess crop production and expanding production on under-used arable land, particularly that of emerging farmers.
The biofuels industry had the potential to create 55 000 agricultural jobs.
A task team had been set up to do further work on the strategy, Maseko said.
- SAPA
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