Bredell attends Roggeveld Wind Farm Commercial Operational opening and invites partnerships in electricity generation
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning recently attended the official commercial operational event of the Roggeveld Wind Farm situated on the border of the Western Cape and Northern Cape near the towns of Laingsburg, Matjiesfontein and Sutherland, in the Karoo.
The Roggeveld Wind Farm has an installed capacity of 147MW wind generation from 47 turbines, which will generate approximately 613GWh per year. The Farm, majority owned by Red Rocket, an independent global power producer, became operational at the end of February 2022. Construction, at a cost of R4.4bn, commenced in 2019.
Bredell said renewable energy projects such as Roggeveld Wind Farm are to be welcomed in South Africa. “At this stage, every watt added to our national grid is essential. This will provide Eskom with some breathing space to get its house in order.”
Bredell said although private sector investment in energy generation is essential for our future, it does not absolve government from its responsibility to provide energy security to the country. “The private sector is driven by profit, whereas government has the responsibility to also look after the most vulnerable people in our communities. This partnership between state and business can only work if both parties perform on their mandates.”
Bredell said renewable energy is central to our future, and it is reflected as such in the Western Cape’s 2050 Vision for a green society. “The Roggeveld Wind Farm will generate enough power to electrify 49200 households, while at the same time off-setting 502 900t of carbon emissions that coal generation would have released. Surely this is the future we want for our country,” he said.
Bredell said rural municipalities can benefit greatly from such catalytic infrastructure projects. “If your management is in order, you have leadership stability and you have demonstrated your ability to stick to a budget, you can attract investments such as this. My Department of Local Government can assist in this regard.”
“We are also helping municipalities to plan strategically regarding electricity. The Department of Economic Development and Tourism’s Municipal Energy Resilience (MER) Programme provide technical support to municipalities to develop the required frameworks for renewable generation capacity and to purchase power from private entities,” Bredell said.
Source: Government of South Africa