Multibillion-rand renewable energy projects flood the Western Cape
The Western Cape is fast becoming a key renewable energy hub after attracting more than R17bn worth of projects in the past five years. The province attracted R2.5bn worth of renewable energy projects last year alone — creating more than 2,000 jobs, and another 700 in component manufacturing, Western Cape economic opportunities MEC Alan Winde said on Monday. SA is now one of the world’s fastest-growing green economies, and Africa’s largest renewables market. The move towards renewable energy was thrown into doubt earlier this year when Eskom CEO Brian Molefe refused to sign any further independent power producer deals that related to renewable energy, saying that the power utility could not afford renewable energy. Last month, Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson told MPs that renewable energy would cost SA more than R1-trillion and it was up to Eskom to say if it could afford it. However, renewable energy remained government policy and part of a balanced energy mix in the country...
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