The government will soon be consulting major roleplayers in the petroleum sector on the construction of a new refinery in SA, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe said on Wednesday. He said a detailed plan should be finalised by the end of November. A regulatory framework to provide policy certainty to the industry would be completed by the end of 2018. Construction of a new refinery will require significant investment and a long lead time. “A refinery is a significant contributor to the economy and the issue of the sustainability of the current refineries is of utmost concern,” the minister said in his budget vote speech in Parliament. “The refining sector is facing major challenges, which include the provision of cleaner fuels, adhering to minimum emission standards and meeting the bunker fuel oil sulphur cap of 2020. Our refineries are not equipped to produce the latest fuels required by modern vehicles to reduce vehicle emissions and improve efficiency.” Radebe also emphasised the role o...
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