As the world celebrates Global Wind Day 2015, South Africa proudly showcases its wind energy industry with a short film that shares its immense achievements since 2011.
In appreciation of Global Wind Day being in its seventh year, the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) has produced this film which highlights seven amazing facts about wind power in South Africa, along with footage from some of the outstanding community projects already underway as a result of funding from our wind farms.
SEVEN AMAZING FACTS ABOUT WIND POWER IN SA
Fact 1: It’s here
South Africa has gone from having just 8 wind turbines in 2012 to 294 – just 3 years later.
Fact 2: It empowers communities
More than ZAR 7 Billion has already been allocated to community uplift and socio-economic development from wind farms being developed under the Government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). This figure will increase significantly over the next three to four years as thousands more megawatts of wind energy are built.
Fact 3: It creates jobs
19, 414 person years of jobs were created by wind farms given the go ahead in REIPPPP Rounds 1 -3. 93.5% of those jobs were/are being carried out by South Africans and locally trained technicians.
Fact 4: It avoids load shedding
Wind energy guaranteed that 117 hours of load shedding were avoided in 2014 – this equals 9 Gigawatt hours and an equivalent value of ZAR 800 million. Wind energy also saved ZAR 1.7 billion in coal and diesel fuel in 2014.
Fact 5: It’s cheap
Newest prices for wind power under the REIPPPP are 40% cheaper per electricity unit than the newest coal (based on latest estimates for Medupi Coal Power Station, currently under construction).
Fact 6: Right now, it’s free
Wind power in 2014 saved more money than it cost: it was cash positive by ZAR 300 million (that’s cash benefit for Eskom directly) and it avoided ZAR 800 million worth of unserved energy.
Fact 7: It’s all built with private money
ZAR 55 billion of private funding has been invested in the wind industry over the last 3 years. South Africa only pays for the power produced.
One final thought to share: If 294 wind turbines on the ground can do this for our country and our people, think what 2,500 will do by 2020 – that’s the plan!
We hope you will join us in celebrating our flourishing industry by sharing our film with the world to ensure everyone can share in our success.
For further information or to interview SAWEA CEO Johan Van den Berg, please mail: [email protected] or call +27 (0) 11 2140664.
Follow us on Twitter @_sawea
SAWEA is a non-profit, industry organisation representing the wind industry in South Africa. Its members include both national and international entities active in the entire wind energy supply chain. Its aim is to promote the sustainable use of commercial wind energy in South Africa; to contribute knowledge and human resources to the streamlining of the policy and regulatory framework for wind in SA; to facilitate synergy between the growth of the industry and the achievement of the broader socio-economic aims of Government (including training, job creation and localisation); to disseminate information; to act as a focal point for discussion between members, government, the media and the public.
For more information visit: www.sawea.org.za
Join us at our annual conference in association with the Global Wind Energy Council: Windaba 2015 on November 4-5 in Cape Town www.windaba.co.za