Page 19 - Energize February 2022

NEWS

Green energy deployment and low

carbon industrialisation on the horizon

he South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) expects 2022 to be a year defined
by the accelerated uptake of green power procurement and South Africa’s intensifying
Tcommitment to the climate agenda, alongside a number of other shifts in the energy
space, brought on by changes in technological deployment.
“We cannot separate wind power and the climate dialogue, and we view our sector as
a key implementer for the country to decarbonise its power sector and increase its energy
availability simultaneously,” said Mercia Grimbeek, Chair of SAWEA.
The Association pronounces that renewable energy production needs to be scaled up
significantly to meet climate change objectives agreed to at the Paris Agreement by many
countries including South Africa. At present, emission trends are not on track to meet these
goals. In South Africa this will require a profound transformation of the energy generation
system, as government plans still fall far short of emission reduction needs.
Renewable energy and energy efficiency provide the optimal pathway to deliver the
majority of the emission cuts needed at the necessary speed. Together they can provide a Mercia Grimbeek
significant percentage of the energy-related CO 2 emission reductions that are required, using
technologies that are safe, reliable, affordable and widely available. and hence a faster roll-out of renewables.
Grimbeek envisions a decarbonised power sector, dominated by renewable sources, Similarly, the sector monitors the data
being at the core of the transition to a sustainable energy future. Although the power sector released by the system operator to ensure
has made significant progress in recent years, the speed of progress must be accelerated. that development is concentrated in areas
Industry, transport and the building sector, to name a few, will need to use more renewable where capacity is available. In addition,
energy. The Energy Transition makes economic sense and stimulates economic activity, in where data reveals grid constraints, it
addition to the growth that could be expected under a business-as-usual approach. With provides the opportunity for the sector
holistic policies, the transition can greatly boost overall employment in the energy sector. to engage the system operator to find
“There is a definite trend for the world to shift to cleaner sources of energy generation, efficient solutions to transmission
and climate change is moving to the forefront of framing long term business strategy hurdles. Like any other business, the
and plans. The finance world is becoming increasingly unsupportive of funding new coal renewables sector is constantly assessing
generation projects. Societal pressure is increasing toward more sustainable sources of energy commercial data to ensure that the cost
generation in the face of the real effects of climate change,” explained Grimbeek. competitiveness of the sector remains.
The Association has noted that both industry and manufacturers are under increasing It is clear that decarbonising the
pressures to reduce their carbon emissions and carbon footprint. All of these pressures energy sector is more than just fossil
necessitate governments and regulators to draft regulations to increase the deployment of fuel replacement. It is a means of job
renewable energy. This in itself is a hugely positive impetus for the South African market. creation through direct construction
With the current status of the energy market in South Africa, these trends not only support and subsequent operations and also the
the execution of the IRP 2019 but definitely encourage a more considerable wind energy associated industrialization. South Africa
generation in excess of that. is on the road to fully embracing the
South Africa can address fundamental challenges of energy access, energy security and potential of its natural resources.
climate change through the deployment of renewable energy. We can harness our abundant “We are a country which has the
potential of increasingly cost-competitive renewable energy to service the growing demand chance to accelerate the deployment
for electricity and avoid a potential fossil-fuel lock-in. of renewable technology and become a
Something else to look out for if we follow international trends, is an increase in the world leader in clean energy production.
types of technologies being deployed to maximise the deployment of renewables. Renewable So, I expect that the sector will play a
technologies also present ample potential for the creation of new industries, job creation role in building institutional capacity to
and localisation across the value chain. This presents a unique opportunity for the South develop and implement national policies
African industry to expand into new avenues of production driven by new technologies, such for increased access to electricity, whilst
as storage, being introduced. Furthermore, it provides opportunities to increase the local pursuing the low carbon development
manufacturing of various components over time. With consistent procurement facilitated by of the electricity sector,” concluded
supporting regulations the opportunities to increase local manufacturing is hugely positive. Grimbeek.
The renewable energy sector uses various sources of data to support sector growth and
in certain instances to address sector challenges. By way of example, the Renewable Energy Contact SAWEA, Phone 010 007-5655,
Development Zones (REDZ) provide areas of expedited development with shorter timeframes admin@sawea.co.za, https://sawea.org.za

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