The SA Photovoltaic Industry Association has welcomed updates on plans to implement the Integrated Resource Plan 2019 (IRP2019) which would contribute to the country’s Covid-19 economic recovery package.
Association chief operations officer Niveshen Govender said the IRP’s biggest opportunity was in low-cost electricity, which would create additional operational and construction jobs and only consistency would open the prospect for domestic manufacturing of renewable components.
Govender said embedded solar energy could also contribute to ensuring energy security in the short and medium term, which was now even more critical, “if we go into winter and there is a possible return of load shedding”.
“The solar industry has a policy target to generate 6GW of energy by 2030, and will contribute to the procurement of 2000MW of distributed energy by 2024. The head of the IPPO (Independent Power Producers’ Office) confirmed that this procurement would commence shortly.
“Implementation of the IRP is a valuable tool to kick-start our economic response to the pandemic, and can go a long way to giving our country the stability and certainty of a reliable power source. Our economy and our future simply cannot afford the uncertainty that comes with the spectre of possibly again going through load shedding,” Govender said.
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