PRINCIPLES FOR ACHIEVING ENERGY SECURITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Fossil fuel energy sources being carbon intensive have the disadvantage of accelerating climate change as well as being non-renewable and, by implication, limited in supply. This poses a threat to the energy security of a country, especially if carbon intensive energy sources serve as the mainstream energy source of a country. Mitigating climate change is a global imperative and involves a fundamental shift from primarily fossil fuel energy sources to alternative, less carbon intensive, energy sources. For many countries this may mean changing energy sources long before the fossil fuel energy reserves are depleted. Changing energy sources means changing power generation technology and infrastructure to utilize new energy sources which requires finances as well as appropriate changes in legislation, policy and other instruments that influence markets to allow this development to progress, especially where energy generation is a closed market, as found in South Africa. Technology change is usually a complex challenge in developing countries as such countries need to overcome the financial barriers associated with new installations as well as the human capacity barriers in terms of skills in the new technology areas. Added to this is the task of ensuring that the energy sources are suited to the operating environment they serve. This paper presents the principles for achieving energy security in developing countries through exploring the range of energy sources available for a developing country and what energy mix may be suitable, bearing in mind the financial and technological challenges and the nature of the operating environment.