The White Paper on Renewable Energy of 2003 is one of the policy documents that laid foundation for the promotion of renewable energy technologies such as solar, hydro, biomass and wind. Through this policy document, a ten year target of how renewable energy technologies could diversify the country’s energy mix and secure cleaner energy was set. The objectives of the White Paper on Renewable Energy of 2003 were to:
In line with the national commitment to transition to a low carbon economy, the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2010) which was promulgated in May 2011 set a more ambitious target of 17 800 MW of renewable energy to be achieved by 2030 in respect of the electricity generation mix. Within this 20 year planning horizon, about 5000 MW were planned to be operational by 2019, with a further 2000 MW expected to come online by 2020. Implementation of the IRP 2010 is carried out through Ministerial Determinations, which are regulated by the by the Electricity Regulations on New Generation Capacity based on the Electricity Regulations Act No. 4 of 2006. Already in 2017, 6 422 MW of electricity had been procured from 112 Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers (IPPs) using the competitive bidding process known as bidding windows. Out of this total, 3 162 MW of electricity generation capacity from 57 IPP projects was connected to the national electricity grid by end of June 2017.
The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) was established by the Department of Energy (DoE) in conjunction with the National Treasury and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) at the end of 2010. The REIPPPP is one of South African government’s urgent interventions to enhance the country’s power generation capacity. Its main objective is to secure private sector investment for the development of new electricity generation capacity, thereby giving effect to the policy decision to diversify South Africa’s energy mix which was articulated in the 1998 White Paper on Energy Policy of South Africa. The REIPPPP has also been designed to contribute to broader national developmental objectives such as job creation, social upliftment and economic transformation primarily through broadening of economic ownership. The IPP Office was then established with a mandate to implement this programme and achieve its broader objectives implement. For more information on the REIPPPP programme please visit https://www.ipp-renewables.co.za/