South Africa’s wind farms on universal Green map

South Africa is one of more than 75 countries around the world operating wind farms, generating energy from a clean, renewable and free source, the Energy Ministry said in a press release issued on Thursday ahead of the Global Wind Day commemoration.

“Currently there are only eight turbines in the country, but through the Department of Energy’s sophisticated Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP), there are currently 15 wind farms under construction with many more in various stages of development,” the release said. [MORE]

The sub-Saharan country’s recognition on the universal Green map comes hardly a month after the launch of the first ever renewable energy project, RustMo1 Solar Farm, in Rusternberg where the government made a commitment to embark on a process of moving away from carbon-intense modes of energy generation.

South Africa has been internationally recognised for its renewable energy investments. Earlier this month, the country became one of the 10 founding members of the Renewables Club, a political initiative of pioneering countries that are united by an important goal: a worldwide transformation of the energy system. The 10 Renewables Club members currently account for more than 40 per cent of global investments in renewable energy.

South Africa has a high level of Renewable Energy potential and presently has in place a target of 10,000 giggawatts of Renewable Energy.

South Africa’s Energy Minister Elizabeth Dipuo Peters is expected to join South Africa Wind Energy Association and learners in celebrating Global Wind Day in Cape Town on Saturday, the ministry said. An estimated 220 children from Khayelitsha, Langa and Mitchell’s Plain are going to participate in the international initiative celebrating the power that wind energy provides to change the world.

SOURCE: http://www.abndigital.com/page/news/markets/1629740-South-Africas-wind-farms-on-universal-Green-map

New PV map

Bea Gonzalez | Apr 16, 2013 | PV Insider

PV Insider’s South African market update and projects map provides an exclusive breakdown of Rounds I and II of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP), plus the size and location of 27 PV projects under development in this region.

Researchers at PV Insider have completed work on the PV South Africa Market Update and Projects Map 2013, which provides an exclusive breakdown of the progress made in Rounds I and II of the REIPPP. Furthermore, the industry guide examines the impact that delays to Round III of the REIPPP have had on the solar-PV market in South Africa.

ACWA’S South African CSP Project Now Scheduled for Late April Start

13 Mar | CSP Today | Tom Nevin & Karen Muirhead.

The Bokpoort CSP project in South Africa’s Northern Cape province is expected to get underway in the week of 22nd April this year after a holdup in the financial close at the Department of Energy. The anticipated start date of the 50MW parabolic trough installation on the Orange River near Groblershoop was 4th March. The delay was due to the financial close postponement of Round 2 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP), affecting all projects in the programme.

According to project director Pravashin Govender of consortium leader ACWA Power Africa Holdings says the new date means that “we will be breaking ground on the project by the end of April”. The project sets new standards in that it incorporates nine hours of storage “effectively, on a good day, pretty much a baseload operation”, Govender told CSPToday.

The Bokspoort CSP plant was originally designed for a net capacity of 75MW. The REEIPPP RFP released on 3rd August 2011 provided an allocation of 200MW of CSP with a maximum capacity limit of 100MW per project. The project was not sbmitted in the first procurement phase where Abengoa Solar was awarded 150MW and in order to remain compliant with the remaining capacity for the second phase Bokpoort’s capacity was reduced to 50MW.

Govender said he hoped the Bokpoort project would be the first of others in South Africa’s renewables programme for independent producers and “next time round we’ll look at tower technology as well”.

Renewable energy good for SA.

Mar 19, 2013 | Sapa

Renewable energy has the potential to spur on socio-economic development in South Africa, the World Future Council (WFC) said.

According to a new study conducted by the WFC and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, renewable energy feed-in tariff policies (REFiT) were a promising way to unlock renewable energy development in Africa.

The study was released on Monday.

"REFiTs encourage investment in renewable energy generation from individual home owners and communities to big companies by guaranteeing to buy and pay for all the electricity produced," WFC Africa director Ansgar Kiene said in a statement.

The report, aimed at policy makers, civil society and the private sector, analysed existing and drafted REFiT policies in 13 African countries.

"The study shows clearly that, when tailored to the local context, REFiT policies successfully increase overall energy production in both on and off-grid areas," Kiene said.

"Moreover, the decentralised nature of REFiTs provides the opportunity to empower communities as well as revitalising local democracy and self-governance by allowing for alternative ownership and governance models."

South Africa was already opening up the market for independent renewable energy power producers via the renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme.

"However, the country has even more potential for local economic development if the programme is amended, including a more streamlined and transparent administrative process and a lower production threshold," said Kiene.

In the report a variety of national and international measures to shift financial resources towards renewable energy uptake were identified. These included levies on fossil fuels or contributions from the United Nation’s Green Climate Fund.

Kulthoum Omari, sustainable development programme manager at the Heinrich Böll Foundation South Africa, stressed REFiTs were most successful as an integral part of a country’s wider development strategy.

Political support as well as buy-in from civil society and the private sector were crucial factors for the successful development and implementation of REFiTs.

SOURCE:
http://www.timeslive.co.za/scitech/2013/03/19/renewable-energy-good-for-sa?service=print

Wind, solar power plants being built ‘thanks to policy certainty’

Business Day Live 20 February 2013.

THE sod had been turned on eight wind power and 18 solar power plants across South Africa in recent weeks, delegates at Johannesburg’s Energy Indaba said on Tuesday.

Policy certainty, for which the government had to be praised, had led to investment, along with the kind of competition that led to plummeting prices, said Werksmans director Happy Masondo.

The sod-turnings emanate from the first “window” of the Department of Energy’s Independent Power Producer programme that aims to produce 3,725MW from wind, solar, small hydro-gas, biogas, biomass and landfill gas by 2016…

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New biogas association upbeat on growth potential

Business Day 15 February 2013.

REBATES and grant schemes from power utility Eskom and the Department of Trade and Industry have increased the potential viability of biogas as yet another renewable source of power generation, says the man who is about to chair the South African Biogas Industry Association, Mark Tiepelt.

The association is to be launched at the Africa Energy Indaba in Sandton next week…

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SunEdison begins solar project in Limpopo

Business Day Live 31 January 2013.

SunEdison SA broke ground on its first South African project, a 28MW solar plant in Limpopo, on Tuesday. The R1.2bn Soutpan project, in Limpopo’s Blouberg municipal area, is to be followed by a 30MW, R1.4bn project — Witkop, situated near Polokwane.

“We are going to use South Africa as our headquarters for sub-Saharan Africa (and) we see South Africa as a beautiful market for commercial, industrial and mining customers,” Mr Gopalan said in an interview with Business Day…

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