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South Africa has given the green light to an initial $5,4 billion worth of clean energy projects that will allow it to procure 1,400 MW of electricity and help reduce reliance on coal-fired plants.

The government has selected 28 wind and solar projects in the first stage of the programme, with the contracts expected to be signed on Nov. 5, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said.

“These bidders will be investing about 47 billion rand ($5,4 billion) in power generation and will create a number of jobs during construction and operation of these power plants,” Peters said in a statement.

The plants are due to be operational between 2014 and 2016.

Africa’s largest economy depends on coal for 85% of its electricity supply of around 41,000 MW. Last year it launched a process to procure cleaner energy to reduce carbon emissions and bolster electricity supply.

A key producer of platinum, gold, iron ore and coal, South Africa has been struggling to meet fast-rising demand for power.

The process of adding more renewable power to the grid has dragged on for years and raised doubts about the government’s ability to deliver on its plans.

It has also chosen another 19 renewable energy projects worth 1,043,9 MW in the second stage of the programme, which it hopes to finalise by late March next year. A third bidding round will close on May 7.

South Africa wants to use the green energy drive to boost job creation through manufacturing and requiring energy companies to source materials locally.

While the original procurement plan was to eventually add up to 3,725 MW of green energy to the national grid by 2016, the programme has recently been expanded to source an additional 3,200 MW of renewable power by 2020.

Apart from green energy, South Africa plans to procure more than 9,000 MW of new electricity produced from coal, gas, regional hydro and co-generation at industrial plants by 2025.

Other plans include a tender for 9,600 MW worth of nuclear power.

($1 = 8,65 South African rand)

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Thu May 23 04:11:36 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 30, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

So who is going to win these tenders are Sisulu's children involved?
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Oct 30, 2012

nicethemba

Scopa concerned about national audits
Cape Town - Parliament's public accounts watchdog committee Scopa has voiced concern that the 2011/12 national audit outcomes indicate slow progress by departments towards achieving clean audits by 2014.
"Most departments are in the unqualified [category] with other matters' audit space, thus slowing the progress towards clean audits," Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) chairperson Themba Godi said on Tuesday
"We have also noticed with concern, the lack of movement in the audit outcomes of the department of public works, despite numerous engagements and attempts by various stakeholders to provide lasting solutions to the department's challenges," he said.

The committee was also concerned that the home affairs department had received a qualified audit opinion, a regression from the previous year's outcomes.

"We are calling for decisive leadership intervention in resolving some of the challenges faced by these departments and others that have acquired undesirable audit outcomes," Godi said.
As part of Scopa's oversight focus, the committee would speak to these departments to seek clarity on the reasons for the regression.
Our major determination in this regard is to ensure that the country efficiently utilises its financial resources in a manner that will ensure the realisation of its developmental objectives."
Keywords - Lindikhaya Mpambani, Servcon, Tokyo Sexwale, housing, bonus, defunked, housing, South Africa, government owned enterprise







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Oct 31, 2012

Mrazane

Is the fracking project still on? Because if it is, then there is no point to all these projects if you are going to waste and pollute the most precious resource of all - our water.
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Oct 31, 2012

NoChange

They exists Guys for more than 5yrs with AIA conducted to a number of areas around the country, we need to wake up guys and smell the direction of economy drivers around the world,
-Currently whites are buying and selling carbon credits like insurances where individuals can buy them.
-Wind power and turbine used are not even part of our education system including.
-Just listening now from the radio is talking about the renewable energy as if is something of the future and yet around the world is part of their daily life for years.
wake UP Africa wake UP
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