South Africa plans to build over 22GW of new wind, solar and storage capacity up to 2030, according to the government’s 2019 integrated resource plan.
The plan, which maps out the energy mix for the next 10 years, envisages 14.4GW of new wind, 6GW of new solar and 2088MW of storage.
The growth would see wind account for 18% of the energy mix, solar 6% and storage 2%, with the remainder comprising hydro (8%), coal (59%), nuclear (5%) and gas (2%).
South African Wind Energy Association chief executive Ntombifuthi Ntuli said: “We are happy with the wind energy’s apportionments in the energy mix, as we transition to a clean energy future.
“With the bulk of the increase coming from renewable sources, it is a promising sign for our country as it faces pressure to reduce its carbon emissions and provide cheaper power.
“With 14.4GW of wind having been allocated in the IRP, giving wind energy 18% of the total capacity allocation, the wind industry views the commitment to 1.6GW per annum as a positive step by government as this allocation will allow original equipment manufacturers and first tier suppliers to commit to local manufacturing of certain components, which contributes directly to job creation.”