https://newsletter.en.creamermedia.com
Africa|Coal|Construction|Energy|Petroleum|Power|Projects|Renewable Energy|Resources|SECURITY|Sustainable|System|Windaba|Power Generation|Products
Africa|Coal|Construction|Energy|Petroleum|Power|Projects|Renewable Energy|Resources|SECURITY|Sustainable|System|Windaba|Power Generation|Products
africa|coal|construction|energy|petroleum|power|projects|renewable-energy|resources|security|sustainable|system|windaba|power-generation|products

Wind power a necessary part of a just energy transition, says Mantashe

12th October 2022

By: Tasneem Bulbulia

Senior Contributing Editor Online

     

Font size: - +

Clean energy is set to be a major contributor to a global and sustainable energy system and wind energy is becoming one of the lowest-cost sources of clean energy, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said during the eleventh Windaba Conference, in Cape Town, on October 12.

He noted that the conference was being held at a time when South Africa was experiencing frequent loadshedding owing to challenges with the performance of its existing coal-fired power generation plants.

The country was also being impacted by global energy challenges, including delays in the supply of petroleum products, high prices and higher costs of construction material for new generation capacity projects.

Mantashe said the solution to the domestic and international challenges would be the sustainable development of indigenous energy resources and moving from high carbon emissions to low carbon emissions in a manner that does not undermine energy security, economic growth plans or the sustainability of local communities.

Mantashe outlined that, outside of State-owned utility Eskom’s new build programme made up of Medupi, Kusile and Ingula, South Africa’s investment in new power generation capacity had mainly been through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) which was launched in 2010 following the first Integrated Resource Plan.

He highlighted that a key feature of the REIPPPP had been the commitment to local content, as well as economic and socioeconomic development.

Excluding the recently signed Bid Window 5 and risk mitigation programme projects, the REIPPPP had attracted R209.6-billion in private sector investment. To date, over 6 106 MW of electricity capacity from 88 renewable energy IPP projects had been commissioned and were supplying energy into the national grid. 

By the end of March this year, these projects had generated over 74 805 GWh of electricity, Mantashe informed.

He added that wind energy projects had contributed to electricity generation during morning and evening peak demand in South Africa. As at the end of March, 32 wind projects had reached commercial operation, delivering 3 063 MW capacity to the national grid.

The 32 wind energy projects have created over 23 000 job opportunities (in job-years) and a total of R18.9-billion has been committed to socioeconomic development and enterprise development initiatives, Mantashe indicated.

Mantashe asserted that the continued polarised debate in South Africa about which energy technologies are best to pursue needed to come to an end.

“South Africa must unashamedly pursue [a mix of] energy technologies to address energy poverty and ensure security of energy supply,” he averred. 

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

Showroom

Schauenburg SmartMine IoT
Schauenburg SmartMine IoT

SmartMine IoT has been developed with the mining industry in mind, to provides our customers with powerful business intelligence and data modelling...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Victaulic
Victaulic

Since 1919, Victaulic’s innovative solutions and design services continue to increase construction productivity and reduce risk, ensuring projects...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.184 0.279s - 209pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now