Renewable energy high on the agenda - 3 months ago

THE Cacadu District Municipal and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) have joined forces to promote the renewable energy sector in the Eastern Cape “to ensure that the region takes full advantage of the opportunities” in this sector.
Nelson Mandela Bay is at the forefront of renewable energy and the Central Energy Fund (CEF) has announced a basket of R2-billion in investment opportunities in this field for the metro.

In addition, the provincial Economic Development and Environmental Affairs Department is exploring “the creation of policy mechanisms to stimulate the creation of new markets related to renewable energy”.
Cacadu municipality said yesterday it would be hosting a working group meeting on June 9 aimed at “co-ordinating and encouraging dialogue to ensure that the region takes full advantage of the opportunities in the renewable energy sector”.
The key objectives of this coordination initiative would include:
Consolidating the region as South Africa’s leading producer of renewable energy;
Establishing Mandela Bay and East London as South Africa’s primary centres for manufacturing renewable energy machinery;
Establishing the region as the major centre for research and development and training; and
Ensuring that an innovative regulatory environment was designed that promoted investment in the renewable energy sector and ensuring these investments resulted in “real and substantial benefits for local municipalities and for local communities in terms of income and jobs”

The East London industrial development zone (IDZ) is, on behalf of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs, developing the provincial energy strategy.
Cacadu said the outcomes of the workshop “will feed into” the province’s energy strategy.
Economic Development and Environment Affairs MEC Mcebisi Jonas noted in his budget speech that the East London IDZ had made “exciting strides towards taking advantage of opportunities emanating from the emergence of renewable energy as a strategic sector”.

Cacadu said the renewable energy sector was “an area of great emerging opportunity” for the province. It was a “very dynamic sector” that enjoyed high-level commitment from the national government.
“New developments nationally are taking place frequently and there are also many significant projects happening in the region. The anticipated massive growth in this sector provides major opportunities for growth in job creation because of the potential of the area to host major renewable energy generation infrastructure as well as the potential to be a major manufacturer of such infrastructure.”

Cacadu believes that roleplayers in the region “need to co-operate more effectively to ensure effective investment and trade promotion and marketing … and that a supportive regulatory framework is in place”.

2010/05/21
Patrick Cull cullp@avusa.co.za

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