Ramokgopa: SA must act on renewable energy, capital won’t wait

Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has called for the acceleration of the country’s renewable energy programme.

The minister addressed the Ministerial Renewable Energy Seminar in Midrand on Monday, under the theme: “Advancing Renewable Energy: A Comprehensive Review of the IPP Procurement Process”.

Last month, Ramokgopa withdrew a gazette on the procurement of a nuclear energy plant.

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This followed legal challenges to the decision to procure nuclear energy, as well as the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa) concurrence in the process. Lobby groups argued that public comments had not been sought and that the procedure had not been fair.

“I have taken the decision to withdraw the gazette to allow for that public participation to happen,” said Ramokgopa during a media briefing at the time.

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“The only time we got to know and be alerted that the process was not subjected to a public consultation process is when the court papers were filed and the minister took the decision that we are withdrawing the gazette; we allow for that public participation so that the process is clean and transparent.”

‘Capital will not wait for SA’

Ramokgopa on Monday held a seminar, where stakeholders voiced their concerns about the country’s renewable energy programme.

He said it was an important conversation to have to iron out any differences as the country needed to fast-track its programme while capital is still available.

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The World Bank, Germany and the African Development Bank are some of the capital sources that have agreed to fund the country’s Just Energy Transition Plan.

However, that capital will not always be available if South Africa drags its feet in meeting its deadlines for the transition, said Ramokgopa.

“I thought that it’s important that we’re able to occasion this conversation,” said Ramokgopa.

“I sat with the team in the department, trying to understand the various bid windows and how best we can improve the performance of the bid windows – the fact that we have approximately 10,000 MW from the multiple bid windows that remain unallocated. How best can we improve the situation?

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“I asked the team if we have had a conversation with all the stakeholders and the answer was in the negative. I think that’s one of the major weaknesses in the body politics of our country – our inability to sit together as stakeholders that are invested in the success of the programme – just to sit around a table and have candid discussions on the weaknesses and shortcomings of every actor in that space and how best we can resolve those questions.”

Ramokgopa on ‘aggressive’ approach

Ramokgopa said the country would need to be “aggressive” in onboarding renewables, but needed to first address the concerns of all stakeholders.

“The point is to listen, not to lamentations. Of course, you will start with ‘we are aggrieved because of this and that’, but the question is: how do we resolve that?

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“We are entering this space from various angles and perspectives, including narrow interests – nothing harmful about that, it’s in the nature of the game – but with those narrow interests, we are contributing to a greater good to ensure we are able to attain conditions of energy security in the country.”