Chinese firm holds online seminar on renewable energy in South Africa

China Energy Investment Corporation Longyuan South Africa hosted an online seminar on renewable energy on August 19, 2022.

Cobs Pillay, deputy director of the green economy at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, said in his speech that at present, green energy accounts for about 10 percent of South Africa's electricity supply, with 194 green energy projects having been set up and now under construction, wind and solar energy being expected to play an increasing important role in the construction and expansion of South Africa's energy generation capacity. He added that South Africa has also embraced the idea of developing hydrogen renewable energy, and hopes that China and South Africa can carry out technical cooperation in this field.

According to Santosh Sookgrim, a senior technical advisor at the South African Wind Energy Association, South Africa's wind energy has obvious advantages and has the potential to become the country's core source of electricity supply alongside other renewable energy sources. Especially with the increasing maturity of energy storage technology, wind energy can continuously provide stable power to the grid, which would offer a very important solution to South Africa where the energy supply is often overloaded and over-allocated.

In his speech, Kadri Nassiep, executive director of Energy for the City of Cape Town, said that South Africa and China have had very similar energy structures and power industries over the past decades, and believes that through future cooperation both sides will have more common topics in the areas of technological partnerships and exchanges of experience.

Attendees at the seminar agreed that China and South Africa have a strong complementary in new energy technologies and a great potential for future cooperation, and the two countries should work together to build a widened road to green development.

President Ramaphosa of South Africa made a proposal in the country’s economic recovery and reconstruction plan that South Africa will achieve a sufficient, safe and reliable energy supply within two years, accelerate comprehensive energy planning, while focusing on the development of renewable energy and the green economy.

China Energy Investment Corporation Longyuan Power has invested R2 billion in the Northern Cape region to build a wind power project with a total generation capacity of 244.45 MW, and has become a model for China and South Africa to strengthen their cooperation in clean and renewable energy alongside other high standard green and high quality projects, while providing a platform for the exchange of technology and experience related to new energy construction in South Africa. It is anticipated that more and more Chinese enterprises will join hands with South Africa to achieve green and sustainable development in the country.

The seminar was attended by more than 30 representatives from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, South African Wind Energy Association, City of Cape Town Government, Standard Bank of South Africa, University of Johannesburg, University of the Western Cape, Independent Media, China Energy Investment Corporation United Power, State Grid Corporation in Africa, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s Africa Representative Office, and China Construction Bank’s Johannesburg Branch.