South Africa Needs Regulatory Certainty to Build Large Wind Sector by 2050

Renewable Energy World

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Investors are looking beyond hiccups such as the stalling of the scheme to buy clean energy by the South African government from independent power producers to create a very large wind sector by 2050, but they want clear regulations.

The delays in signing off power purchase agreements by the power utility Eskom with renewable energy independent power producers (REIPP) has triggered panic signals to investors, but all hope is not lost to boost local manufacturing content and create jobs.

Wind energy investors and stakeholders shared their concerns at South Africa’s premier wind energy conference held Nov. 3-4 at the Cape Town International Convention Center.

The collective opinion is it’s important to create jobs to make a difference in the South African wind industry, said Anne Henschel, managing director of Acciona Windpower and head of a working group on employment with the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA).

“The local industry investment is one of our key issues, and it’s very controversial, but we are confident that the differences will be solved with different approaches,” she said.

“Without investment in the industry there will be no future and we will only be executing projects on a short term,” Henschel said, adding that operating businesses had not invested enough to meet the target of 100 percent renewable energy.

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