- The South African government is launching the DWS Hydropower Independent Producer Programme (DWS HIPP).
- This program aims to encourage independent power producers (IPPs) to invest in hydropower in South Africa.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is introducing the DWS Hydropower Independent Producer Program, which comes after the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), which increased investment in renewable energy in South Africa in recent years. (DWS HIPP). To use South Africa’s hydroelectric potential, the goal is to entice private investment.
The program was also started in response to South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis, which has become worse in recent weeks and led to a rise in load shedding. Eskom, a publicly traded firm, can use hydroelectricity to assist meet South African families’ and companies’ need for power. The DWS is therefore implementing the DWS HIPP program as a matter of urgency, starting with a first bidding window that will open on April 17, 2023.
Independent power producers (IPPs) may submit bids for preset technologies for the future request for expressions of interest. These include pumped storage, floating or kinetic turbines for miniaturized power generation, river diversion for run-of-river power plants, and water impoundment (damming).
The technically possible hydropower potential for South Africa is estimated at 14,000 GWh per year, of which around 90% has already been created, according to the Austrian turbine maker Andritz. The installed hydroelectric capacity in South Africa is 3,586 MW, including 2,832 MW of pumped storage capacity, with a current annual production of 4,750 GWh, or around 2% of the country’s total energy mix.