Cape Town - The wind energy industry has called for transparent and documented processes to unblock the deliverance of new generation energy after Eskom’s announcement that 53GW of additional generation capacity, particularly from renewable energy sources, was required up to 2032 to ensure energy security.
Eskom announced this during its 2022 Transmission Development Plan (TDP) Public Forum, where it shared its Transmission grid development plans for 2023 to 2032, as well as an update on separating the transmission business as a wholly owned subsidiary of Eskom Holdings.
Eskom transmission managing director Segomoco Scheppers said: “The next five years are very critical for security of supply. If the TDP 2022 requirements to deliver an adequate transmission network capacity by 2027 are to be met, a significant investment of R72.2 billion will be required to expand and strengthen the transmission grid over the next five years.”
In the wake of this, the South African Wind Energy Association (Sawea) has called for the country’s energy liberalisation to assist in bringing the energy availability levels up to the required level, as having exceeded the 150th day of load shedding this year, South Africa’s economy continued to feel the strain of energy availability.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has been accelerating the pathway to liberalising South Africa’s energy sector, as the country’s energy insecurity worsens, by scrapping licence rules for private power generators and other implementations.
However, even with the removal of this red tape, there are still blockages to delivering new energy generation.
Sawea CEO Niveshen Govender said: “We believe that while the Electricity Regulation Act amendment bill is the right policy intervention to support a liberalised energy market in South Africa, the removal of the licence requirement for own use projects will not have the desired outcomes if not implemented efficiently and effectively.”
Govender said policy alone was not enough. They needed to manage and improve the bureaucracy of the process required to build new generation capacity, and renewable energy capacity specifically.
“Our industry needs grid connection application, and wheeling conditions need to be standardised and finalised nationwide, as well as permitting requirements and processes that are accessible and practical,” he said.