• SA authorities turn to renewable energy to improve electricity conditions in the country.
• A total of $2.8 million worth of contracts has been awarded
• With coal providing 80 per cent of its electricity, South Africa is now banking on solar power.
The South African government has awarded 25 contracts for renewable energy projects worth $2.8 billion to reduce the country’s heavy dependence on coal. The 25 projects (12 wind farms and 13 photovoltaic plants) awarded to the private sector will increase the country’s electricity generation capacity to 2,583MW, or 4.5 per cent more than at present, said Energy Minister Gwede Manthashe.
The country experiences constant load shedding, and the South African electricity company, Eskom, which supplies 90 per cent of households, is sinking under a debt of several billion dollars. As a result, several companies are turning to solar energy, intending to be 100 per cent dependent on this source by 2025.