The wind energy industry is hoping to take centre stage in the country’s efforts towards a just energy transition with 1.3 gigawatts of wind projects currently in construction.
Speaking at the conclusion of the Windaba 2024 conference on Thursday, South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) CEO Niveshen Govender said over the past decade, wind energy has steadily established itself as a vital component of South Africa's energy transition.
“Our industry has achieved remarkable milestones, contributing to over 3.5 gigawatts of installed capacity. (To date) the wind industry has 1.3 gigawatts of wind projects currently in construction. We have a pipeline of 53 gigawatts of wind projects under development in the country.
“The Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill (ERA) around unbundling of Eskom and regulatory reform, is laying the groundwork for a more resilient and sustainable energy mix in our country. However, we must acknowledge the challenges that persist whether this is specifically the grid constraints or more generally the structural reforms.”
He said there was still intervention required to unlock the full potential of renewable energy.
Keynote speaker, Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said they were revising the transmission development plan which had previously aimed to build 14 000 kilometres over 10 years.
“Brazil, India, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico have gone this route and we're seeing that they've been able to roll out a significant amount of kilometres over the period 1998 to 2015 - over 100 000 kilometres of new transmission, so it has been done. We are learning from those experiences of countries that are within the same band as ours from a development perspective so that we're able to take that as a template and then domesticate it so we know that there's a place for the state, there's a place for the private sector.”
The minister said that wind energy was a big part of the country’s integrated resource plan, a comprehensive articulation of the energy sources that will help meet the demand.
He said they received 4000 submissions on a review of the plan which was out for public consultation, of which 250 would be considered, as they made a “substantive contribution”.
With an ongoing transition from traditional energy sources to renewable solutions, the country had committed to ensuring that it meets its own energy demands while also preparing to assist regional neighbours like Zambia, the minister noted.
Cape Times