Power plan reignited

RENEWABLES: RAMOKGOPA SET TO ACCELERATE ENERGY REFORM

- Antoinette Slabbert

Following engagements with stakeholders in the renewable energy industry, Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has promised to reignite and accelerate government's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (Reippp).

He has announced several interventions and promised further announcements in the next few weeks to improve on the current programme. "Then we will be able to onboard IPPs [independent power producers] in an aggressive fashion.”

Ramokgopa has also disclosed that government has started calling on preferred bidder bonds of those projects that have not reached financial close before the set deadlines. Industry leaders have welcomed this as a measure to keep speculation out of the system.