Service Contract No 2007 / 147-446 Strategic ... - Swaziland

Policy, Plan orProgrammeNational Energy PolicyImplementation Strategy(draft)National BiofuelsDevelopment Strategyand Action Plan (2009)Description / relevance to the NASThe National Energy Policy Implementation Strategy is aimed at providingclearly identified targets and actions for the existing Energy Policy. Thestrategy identifies the relevant stakeholders who are expected to lead theimplementation and approximate costs of the individual projects. Inaddition, the Strategy identifies a number of priority projects and providesdetailed proposals to enable the GoS to identify funding requirements.The Vision of the National Energy Policy was formulated as follows:“ensuring that the development goals of the country are met through thesustainable supply and use of energy for the benefit of all the citizens ofthe country”.Irrigated agriculture plays a critical role in the economy of the country as afood provider and a major contributor to exports. It is a major electricityconsumer but has the potential to contribute significantly in the productionof electricity through cogeneration projects which are being activelystudied.The NEPIS is presented in eight separate strategies, which have beendeveloped to be utilised as standalone documents for the relevant sectorsor interested parties. These strategies include:• Electricity and Power Generation• Renewable Energy and Climate Change• Energy Savings and Energy Efficiency• Petroleum• Biomass and Household Energy• Biofuels• Energy and Poverty• InstitutionalThe implementation of the NAS measure on cogeneration will strengthenthe availability of electricity in the country. Energy is seen as a keycomponent with regard to power generation from bagasse and ethanolproduction.The biofuels development strategy outlined potential development routesbiofuel production, processing and use could take. The strategy wasinformed by a detailed feasibility study that identified critical areasincluding crop selection.The Action Plan was finalised in 2009 and promotes the blending of petrolwith bioethanol produce from molasses. In addition to increaseparticipation of rural farmers, a programme of research and developmentof sweet sorghum is proposed.The relevance to the NAS is the country’s commitment to blend petrolwith ethanol produced locally from sugar by-products thus creating amarket for the ethanol.RDMU (Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Adaptation Strategy) - Page 161